Efficacy of Augmented Reality-based Virtual Hiking in Cardiorespiratory Endurance: A Pilot Study

Muhammad Asif Ahmad, Muhammad Asif Ahmad, Muhammad Asif Ahmad, Honorato Sousa, Élvio Rúbio Quintal, Élvio Rúbio Quintal, Sergi Bermúdez i Badia, Sergi Bermúdez i Badia, Sergi Bermúdez i Badia

2021

Abstract

Exergames can be used to overcome a sedentary lifestyle. Virtual Reality (VR) has made exergames successful, and they can be used to increase heart rate, but some limitations are found, such as the adaptation of the heart rate in exergames to the player's fitness profile. VR technology has been used to simulate virtual cycling and walking experiences. We designed and developed an exergame' Virtual Levadas' in a cave-based VR environment to simulate the Levadas hiking tracks. They are the main attraction for tourists in Madeira Island, Portugal. This study's main objective was to assess player exertion, usability, participation, and realism of the simulation of the Levadas tracks. We performed this study with 13 participants who played Virtual Levadas for 6 minutes and found a significant increase in player's average physical activity and heart rate. Overall, our results demonstrate that Virtual Levada's exergame provides a higher exertion level, immersion, and realism of the virtual environment than the literature.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Ahmad M., Sousa H., Quintal É. and Bermúdez i Badia S. (2021). Efficacy of Augmented Reality-based Virtual Hiking in Cardiorespiratory Endurance: A Pilot Study. In Proceedings of the 14th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2021) - Volume 5: HEALTHINF; ISBN 978-989-758-490-9, SciTePress, pages 575-582. DOI: 10.5220/0010312405750582

in Bibtex Style

@conference{healthinf21,
author={Muhammad Asif Ahmad and Honorato Sousa and Élvio Rúbio Quintal and Sergi Bermúdez i Badia},
title={Efficacy of Augmented Reality-based Virtual Hiking in Cardiorespiratory Endurance: A Pilot Study},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 14th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2021) - Volume 5: HEALTHINF},
year={2021},
pages={575-582},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0010312405750582},
isbn={978-989-758-490-9},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 14th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2021) - Volume 5: HEALTHINF
TI - Efficacy of Augmented Reality-based Virtual Hiking in Cardiorespiratory Endurance: A Pilot Study
SN - 978-989-758-490-9
AU - Ahmad M.
AU - Sousa H.
AU - Quintal É.
AU - Bermúdez i Badia S.
PY - 2021
SP - 575
EP - 582
DO - 10.5220/0010312405750582
PB - SciTePress