Rhythmic proprioceptive stimulation improves embodiment in a walking avatar when added to visual stimulation

Synchronicity between user’s movements and that of their self-avatar leads to a subjective illusion of embodiment over the virtual avatar. Tendon vibrations can be used to produce a perception of movement, in the absence of any voluntary movements. Such stimulations have been combined with virtual reality to induce the ownership illusion. In this study we investigate the ability of using a virtual self-avatar combined with tendon vibrations to give standing users the impression of walking physically. The vibrations, applied on 24 participants, had different levels of complexity and congruency with the avatar’s movements. Overall, results suggest that the pattern of vibrations is not crucial to produce ownership illusion.