Suitability test of virtual reality applications for older people considering the spatial orientation ability

Previous studies showed similar spatial orientation ability (SO) between real world (RW) and virtual reality (VR). As the SO deteriorates with age, it is crucial to investigate whether the degradation is similar in VR, as it may affect the use of VR tools for older people, such as in physical therapy. Therefore, we extended our previous study, in which similar SO between RW and VR was measured for younger participants (18–35 years) with a higher age group (> 55 years) to examine the VR's influence on their SO. Two main tests were conducted. In the first test, the participants were blindfolded, asked to rotate (0°, 45°, 180°, 225°) on a fixed starting position, and walk straight to different objects they had memorized before. This test was conducted twice. An ANOVA only revealed a significant interaction between the factors Age (young/old) and Condition (VR/RW) for the 45°-rotation in the second run. Here, both age groups performed similarly in RW, while in VR, greater deviations in the older participants appeared. Nevertheless, the overall Age*Condition-interaction in the first test was not significant. In the second test, subjects were required to walk blindfolded to two objects starting from different positions. The starting position and objects changed three times in each condition but were equal between RW and VR. No interactions between the factors Age and Condition were found (p > 0.05). Both tests showed a similar influence of VR on the SO of both age groups, supporting the usage of VR, regardless of age.