Designing a closed loop system to achieve real time evaluation and manipulation of state anxiety while walking in virtual reality
Real time examination of the effect of emotional state changes on the control of movement in complex environments presents a significant challenge. Towards the goal of developing a novel test bed for monitoring and manipulating emotional states in complex environments, we aim to synthesize real time sensing of state anxiety in humans while walking in virtual outdoor environments with implicit biofeedback. Through the use of immersive virtual reality, realistic and complex ambulation environments will be provided to participants to examine their response and adaptation to potentially anxiety inducing stimuli in their community. Through the integration of real time sensing of anxiety changes with biofeedback, we seek to examine the neural and behavioral response to virtual community ambulation environments and how successfully biofeedback may alleviate state anxiety in older adults.
2021 10th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER)