Seeing Through the Headset: How Immersion Levels Shape User Experience in VR and AR-Assisted Physiotherapy

Neck pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition associated with disability, reduced function, and recurrent symptoms. Although exercise-based physiotherapy is commonly recommended, sustained engagement remains a challenge. This thesis presents the design and comparative evaluation of two functionally matched prototype applications for neck-related interaction: one delivered in immersive virtual reality (VR) and the other in headset-based augmented reality (AR) with passthrough. Both systems supported four task modules targeting mobility, velocity and reaction performance, movement smoothness, and proprioceptive accuracy using head-tracking data. A within-subject mixed-methods study was conducted with 17 healthy participants who completed both conditions in counterbalanced order. Quantitative evaluation used the SUS, NASA-TLX, UES-SF, and SSQ, with paired statistical analyses and Holm-Bonferroni correction. No statistically reliable between-condition differences were observed after correction. Qualitative findings showed that user experience was shaped primarily by onboarding, control mapping, environmental awareness, and visual comfort. These findings inform the future design of AR and VR-based neck assessment and rehabilitation systems.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Ali, Syed Farasat

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Rehman, Umair

• Neck Pain
• Physiotherapy
• Virtual Reality
• Augmented Reality
• Human Factors

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/39651

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/39651