Determining the Accuracy of Oculus Touch Controllers for Motor Rehabilitation Applications Using Quantifiable Upper Limb Kinematics: Validation Study (Preprint)
BACKGROUND As commercial motion tracking technology becomes more readily available, it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of these systems before using them for biomechanical and motor rehabilitation applications. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the relative position accuracy of the Oculus Touch controllers in a 2.4 x 2.4 m play-space. METHODS Static data samples (n=180) were acquired from the Oculus Touch controllers at step sizes ranging from 5 to 500 mm along 16 different points on the play-space floor with graph paper in the x (width), y (height), and z (depth) directions. The data were compared with reference values using measurements from digital calipers, accurate to 0.01 mm; physical blocks, for which heights were confirmed with digital calipers; and for larger step sizes (300 and 500 mm), a ruler with hatch marks to millimeter units. RESULTS It was found that the maximum position accuracy error of the system was 3.5 ± 2.5 mm at the largest step size of 500 mm along the z-axis. When normalized to step size, the largest error found was 12.7 ± 9.9% at the smallest step size in the y-axis at 6.23 mm. When the step size was <10 mm in any direction, the relative position accuracy increased considerably to above 2% (approximately 2 mm at maximum). An average noise value of 0.036 mm was determined. A comparison of these values to cited visual, goniometric, and proprioceptive resolutions concludes that this system is viable for tracking upper-limb movements for biomechanical and rehabilitation applications. The accuracy of the system was also compared with accuracy values from previous studies using other commercially available devices and a multicamera, marker-based professional motion tracking system. CONCLUSIONS The study found that the linear position accuracy of the Oculus Touch controllers was within an agreeable range for measuring human kinematics in rehabilitative upper-limb exercise protocols. Further testing is required to ascertain acceptable repeatability in multiple sessions and rotational accuracy.