Bachelor's Thesis

From AR to VR: Development of Design Guidelines for Exergame Development with Reference to Collision Anxiety

Author:

Bünyamin Yilmaz

Processing Period:

28.11.2022 - 20.03.2023

Abstract

Mixed reality (MR) exergames have seen a surge in interest in recent years. Exergames are videogames that require physical movement to play. They could potentially be used to motivate people to be more physically active. One construct that is still barely studied and may possibly reduce the effectiveness of these is Collision Anxiety (CA). It describes the fear of colliding with the real environment while being in virtual space. The question of this research was to what extent a gradual transition from augmented reality (AR) to virtual reality (VR) could affect CA and the general gaming experience. An MR exergame was created for the Meta Quest in which a transition from AR to VR was implemented. In the one study group, participants had control over the transition, while in the other it happened automatically. Subjects were asked to play the game and fill out questionnaires. No significant differences were found between the two groups in either CA or game experience. Overall, the CA was low and the transition mechanics were rated positively by both groups. Transitioning from AR to VR could potentially improve the gaming experience and lead to lower CA. This should continue to be explored in different experimental scenarios that better represent actual user environments.