Comparing Standing Balance at Real and Virtual Elevated Environments

The study evaluated the efficacy of a surround-screen virtual reality (SSVR) system in simulating heights for studying human postural balance at elevation. Twenty four subjects performed standing tasks at 9-m elevation and ground level, on firm and deformable surfaces, in a real environment (RE) and a comparable virtual environment (VE). The RE was the interior of the high-bay laboratory at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Morgantown, West Virginia; the VE simulated this environment in the SSVR system. Medial-lateral and anterior-posterior body sways and mean velocity of the human center-of-pressure displacement were collected using a force platform. The results indicated that the sway parameters were similar in VE and RE at elevation on both firm and deformable surfaces. At ground level, the sway parameters were significantly increased in the VE compared to the RE on a deformable surface, but not on a firm surface. It appears that visual simulation of elevated environments within a SSVR is adequate for studying the risk factors leading to losing balance and fall incidents.