Investigating the impact of VR Embodiment and Presence in a Kinesthetic Motor Imagery Powered Wheelchair Simulator

Powered wheelchairs (PWs) play a crucial role in enhancing the autonomy and quality of life of individuals with neuromotor disabilities (NMDs).Traditional training requires large spaces and significant resources, making Virtual Reality (VR) a viable alternative by providing safe and controlled environments for developing driving skills. This thesis explores how immersion, embodiment, and presence influence cortical activity during kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) tasks. The PW simulator, developed in a previous project for hybrid brain-computer interface (BCI) control using electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG), was adapted for both immersive (head-mounted display, HMD) and non-immersive (traditional display) systems. This adaptation enabled a comparative analysis of different immersion levels and an evaluation of brain activity with and without a bodily avatar associated with the virtual PW.Eleven participants without disabilities performed simulations under four conditions: Immersive Embodied, Immersive Not Embodied, Semi-Immersive Embodied, Semi-Immersive Not Embodied.EEG data, specifically μ and β rhythms, were analyzed and integrated with subjective reports to identify correlations between neural signals and perceptions of embodiment and presence. Results showed that immersive conditions, particularly those including a virtual body, elicited stronger desynchronization in the sensorimotor cortex during hand KMI. For foot KMI, semi-immersive settings resulted in more consistent localization and intensity (p<0.05). The presence of an avatar also influenced KMI performance in a modality-dependent and gender-specific manner, with females generally outperforming males(p<0.05). Task difficulty, learning effects, and fatigue further modulated performance. This study advances the understanding of VR-neural interactions, paving the way for innovative neurorehabilitation protocols that enhance PW training and promote autonomy for individuals with NMDs.