Effect of connection induced upper body movements on embodiment towards a limb controlled by another during virtual co-embodiment

Even if we cannot control them, or when we receive no tactile or proprioceptive feedback from them, limbs attached to our bodies can still provide indirect proprioceptive and haptic stimulations to the body parts they are attached to simply due to the physical connections. In this study we investigated whether such indirect movement and haptic feedbacks from a limb contribute to a feeling of embodiment towards it. To investigate this issue, we developed a ’Joint Avatar’ setup in which two individuals were given full control over the limbs in different sides (left and right) of an avatar during a reaching task. The backs of the two individuals were connected with a pair of solid braces through which they could exchange forces and match the upper body postures with one another. Coupled with the first-person view, this simulated an experience of the upper body being synchronously dragged by the partner-controlled virtual arm when it moved. We observed that this passive synchronized upper-body movement significantly reduced the feeling of the partner-controlled limb being owned or controlled by another. In summary, our results suggest that even in total absence of control, connection induced upper body movements synchronized with the visible limb movements can positively affect the sense of embodiment towards partner-controlled or autonomous limbs.