Mobilization and calibration of the HTC VIVE for virtual reality physical therapy

AIMS: The HTC VIVE virtual reality (VR) system is a potential tool for collecting kinematic data during inpatient and outpatient physical therapy (PT). When validated against research-grade systems, the VIVE has a reported translational error between 1.7 mm–2.0 cm. Our purpose was to portabilize the VIVE for room to room PT and validate the motion tracking software. METHODS: The VIVE was configured on a mobile cart. To validate the motion tracking software, the VIVE sensors (motion tracker, controller, headset) were mounted on a rigid linear track and driven through 10, one-meter translations in the X, Y, and Z axes. RESULTS: The mean translational error for all three sensors was below 4.9 cm. While error is greater than that reported for research-grade systems, motion tracking software on the portable VIVE unit appears to be a valid means of tracking aggregate movement. CONCLUSION: Some therapy may require more precise measurements, however, the advantages of portability and accessibility to patients may outweigh the limitation of reduced precision.