Thesis Project Form

Subjects with neurodegenerative diseases typically present motor disorders and cognitive/attentional disturbances. VR provides a controlled means to investigate motor difficulties by replicating real-life situations with a high cognitive load. It integrates visual stimuli and spatialized audio stimulations to reproduce chaotic, confusing, and hyperstimulating environments. VR technology can be used to promote the development of adaptive skills and even cognitive and motor functional recovery.

Design and validation of a low-cost VR-based device, intended for future clinical use, capable of immersing a subject in a realistic urban environment to experience challenging motor, behavioral, and cognitive situations. The tool will be constructed based on "ADRIS," a semi-immersive virtual reality driving simulator (mediated by three curved screens) already developed at DIBRIS. This prototype needs to be adapted so that it transforms from a driving simulator into a "walking" simulator, and the experience is mediated through immersive wearable headsets. Users will be able to encounter various situations that can occur while walking and provide a range of gait-associated measures, allowing the assessment of the subject's behavioral responses (e.g., reaction time).

The student will learn to employ an array of methodologies and instrumentation, including:
• Graphic Engines (Unity3D) and Shaders
• Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, 3D monitor/projectors
• Stereoscopic rendering
• Psychophysics methodologies
• Task design and data collection with subjects