Includes index.

Part I. Perception. Sensory Contributions to Spatial Knowledge of Real and Virtual Environments / David Waller, Eric Hodgson -- Perceptual and Cognitive Factors for Self-Motion Simulation in Virtual Environments: How Can Self-Motion Illusions ("Vection") Be Utilized? / Bernhard E. Riecke, Jörg Schulte-Pelkum -- Biomechanics of Walking in Real World: Naturalness we Wish to Reach in Virtual Reality / Franck Multon, Anne-Hélène Olivier -- Affordance Perception and the Visual Control of Locomotion / Brett R. Fajen -- The Effect of Translational and Rotational Body-Based Information on Navigation / Roy A. Ruddle -- Enabling Unconstrained Omnidirectional Walking Through Virtual Environments: An Overview of the CyberWalk Project / Ilja Frissen, Jennifer L. Campos, Manish Sreenivasa, Marc O. Ernst -- Part II. Technologies. Displays and Interaction for Virtual Travel / Anthony Steed, Doug A. Bowman -- Sensing Human Walking: Algorithms and Techniques for Extracting and Modeling Locomotion / Franck Multon -- Locomotion Interfaces / Hiroo Iwata -- Implementing Walking in Virtual Environments / Gerd Bruder, Frank Steinicke -- Stepping-Driven Locomotion Interfaces / Mary C. Whitton, Tabitha C. Peck -- Multimodal Rendering of Walking Over Virtual Grounds / Maud Marchal, Gabriel Cirio, Yon Visell, Federico Fontana, Stefania Serafin -- Part III. Applications and Interactive Behavior. Displacements in Virtual Reality for Sports Performance Analysis / Richard Kulpa, Benoit Bideau, Sébastien Brault -- Redirected Walking in Mixed Reality Training Applications / Evan A. Suma, David M. Krum, Mark Bolas -- VR-Based Assessment and Rehabilitation of Functional Mobility / Adam W. Kiefer, Christopher K. Rhea, William H. Warren -- Full Body Locomotion with Video Game Motion Controllers / Brian Williamson, Chadwick Wingrave, Joseph J. LaViola Jr. -- Interacting with Augmented Floor Surfaces / Yon Visell, Severin Smith, Jeremy R. Cooperstock.

This book presents a survey of past and recent developments on human walking in virtual environments with an emphasis on human self-motion perception, the multisensory nature of experiences of walking, conceptual design approaches, current technologies, and applications. The use of virtual reality and movement simulation systems is becoming increasingly popular and more accessible to a wide variety of research fields and applications. While, in the past, simulation technologies have focused on developing realistic, interactive visual environments, it is becoming increasingly obvious that our everyday interactions are highly multisensory. Therefore, investigators are beginning to understand the critical importance of developing and validating locomotor interfaces that can allow for realistic, natural behaviours. The book aims to present an overview of what is currently understood about human perception and performance when moving in virtual environments and to situate it relative to the broader scientific and engineering literature on human locomotion and locomotion interfaces. The contents include scientific background and recent empirical findings related to biomechanics, self-motion perception, and physical interactions. The book also discusses conceptual approaches to multimodal sensing, display systems, and interaction for walking in real and virtual environments. Finally, it will present current and emerging applications in areas such as gait and posture rehabilitation, gaming, sports, and architectural design