A 2×2 randomised experiment in 32 healthy adults compared active pWRAPS pelvic guidance with transparent mode and two visual-feedback designs during VR reaching. Guidance improved performance and pelvis-trunk-hand coordination without reducing sense of agency, but this is not yet rehabilitation evidence in stroke, cerebral palsy or spinal-cord injury.
Key findings
- Guided participants improved performance and pelvis-trunk-hand coordination more regardless of feedback. Pursuit-target feedback yielded greater trunk-pelvis improvement than error-only feedback. Trunk-pelvis coordination most strongly predicted agency, which increased post-test.
Why this matters globally
Assistance that preserves perceived control may improve engagement in rehabilitation robotics and highlights the need to assess biomechanics alongside user experience.
Thai researcher contribution
A Chulalongkorn University researcher with a Columbia affiliation contributed to the international robot-VR framework and experiment.
Limitations to consider
Only eight healthy participants per group were studied. Between-subject differences, short-term measurement, no retention or daily-function outcomes, and no patient safety profile limit translation. Predictor associations are not causal.