Development of a standalone VR application for the simulation of lower extremity amputations

Abstract

The development of modern technologies like virtual reality (VR) has paved the way for the creation of novel applications. This paper presents the medical context, a prototype for the simulation of lower extremity amputations, as well as the prototype's feasibility study. The simulation's aim is to prepare patients and their relatives for the upcoming amputation. Moreover, the application is designed to promote compassion and empathy towards amputees among people without any prior experience in the topic of amputation. Additionally, we present a standalone version of the prototype. Adapted from the original prototype, this VR application is now optimized to operate on standalone VR devices. The main results of the feasibility study are that the environment and the used avatar were perceived as real. The study also showed that further developments should increase the sensation of embodiment.