Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation

Salvatore L. Cucinella; Job L.A. Mulder; Joost C.F. de Winter; Laura Marchal-Crespo

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82

Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation

Salvatore L. Cucinella, Job L.A. Mulder, Joost C.F. de Winter, Laura Marchal-Crespo^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Human-Robot Interaction

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Neuroscience evidence suggests that personalized, task-specific, high-intensity training is essential for maximizing recovery after acquired brain injury. Robotic devices combined with immersive virtual reality (VR) games, visualized through head-mounted displays (HMDs), can support such intensive training within naturalistic virtual environments with audio-visual stimuli tailored to individual needs. However, the impact of these auditory and visual demands on cognitive load remains an open question. To address this, we conducted an experiment with 22 healthy participants to explore how varying levels of visual, auditory, and cognitive demands affect users’ cognitive load and performance during a shopping task in immersive VR. We found that mental demand had the most significant impact on increasing cognitive load and hampering task performance. Visual demands, although affecting gaze behavior, did not significantly affect cognitive load or performance. Auditory demands showed small effects on cognitive load.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain
Editors	Jose L. Pons, Jesus Tornero, Metin Akay
Publisher	Springer
Pages	411-415
Number of pages	5
Volume	1
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-77588-8
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-77587-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation, ICNR 2024 - La Granja, Spain Duration: 5 Nov 2024 → 8 Nov 2024

Publication series

Name	Biosystems and Biorobotics
Volume	31
ISSN (Print)	2195-3562
ISSN (Electronic)	2195-3570

Conference

Conference	6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation, ICNR 2024
Country/Territory	Spain
City	La Granja
Period	5/11/24 → 8/11/24

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

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10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82

978-3-031-77588-8_82Final published version, 738 KB

Cite this

Cucinella, S. L., Mulder, J. L. A., de Winter, J. C. F., & Marchal-Crespo, L. (2025). Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation. In J. L. Pons, J. Tornero, & M. Akay (Eds.), Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain (Vol. 1, pp. 411-415). (Biosystems and Biorobotics; Vol. 31). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82

Cucinella, Salvatore L. ; Mulder, Job L.A. ; de Winter, Joost C.F. et al. / Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation. Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain. editor / Jose L. Pons ; Jesus Tornero ; Metin Akay. Vol. 1 Springer, 2025. pp. 411-415 (Biosystems and Biorobotics).

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Cucinella, SL, Mulder, JLA, de Winter, JCF & Marchal-Crespo, L 2025, Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation. in JL Pons, J Tornero & M Akay (eds), Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain. vol. 1, Biosystems and Biorobotics, vol. 31, Springer, pp. 411-415, 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation, ICNR 2024, La Granja, Spain, 5/11/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82

Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation. / Cucinella, Salvatore L.; Mulder, Job L.A.; de Winter, Joost C.F. et al.
Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain. ed. / Jose L. Pons; Jesus Tornero; Metin Akay. Vol. 1 Springer, 2025. p. 411-415 (Biosystems and Biorobotics; Vol. 31).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

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AU - de Winter, Joost C.F.

AU - Marchal-Crespo, Laura

N1 - Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

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AB - Neuroscience evidence suggests that personalized, task-specific, high-intensity training is essential for maximizing recovery after acquired brain injury. Robotic devices combined with immersive virtual reality (VR) games, visualized through head-mounted displays (HMDs), can support such intensive training within naturalistic virtual environments with audio-visual stimuli tailored to individual needs. However, the impact of these auditory and visual demands on cognitive load remains an open question. To address this, we conducted an experiment with 22 healthy participants to explore how varying levels of visual, auditory, and cognitive demands affect users’ cognitive load and performance during a shopping task in immersive VR. We found that mental demand had the most significant impact on increasing cognitive load and hampering task performance. Visual demands, although affecting gaze behavior, did not significantly affect cognitive load or performance. Auditory demands showed small effects on cognitive load.

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Cucinella SL, Mulder JLA, de Winter JCF , Marchal-Crespo L. Immersive Virtual Environments for Upper-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation. In Pons JL, Tornero J, Akay M, editors, Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation V : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Neurorehabilitation (ICNR 2024), November 5–8, 2024, La Granja, Spain. Vol. 1. Springer. 2025. p. 411-415. (Biosystems and Biorobotics). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-77588-8_82