Application of eye-tracking systems integrated into immersive virtual reality and possible transfer to the sports sector - A systematic review

Abstract

In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has become a valuable tool in rehabilitation and sports training applications. New technologies offer opportunities to combine various systems and use them for sports-related scientific purposes. For instance, examining the visual perception of athletes within a standardized environment could be helpful to understand the differences between novices and experts in their visual behavior and could further reveal possible training applications for enhancing athletes’ visual attention. The current systematic literature review thematizes the importance of eye-tracking (ET) systems’ usage integrated into head-mounted displays (HMDs) in virtual environments for further inclusion in sports-related usage. An overview of possible implementations is given, and additional recommendations for using the combined technic regarding sports are made. Although only one study examined gaze behavior during sports activity within a standardized virtual environment, 38 relevant papers were identified using the ET systems integrated into the HMDs, which ideas can be transferred to the sports sector. The increased usability and fidelity in the virtual environment enabled through the combined technology were illustrated, and different approaches were listed in using and calculating gaze parameters. This literature review examines the possibility of integrating ET in VR, which can be further used to improve usability, interaction methods, image presentation, and visual perception analyses within future physical training scenarios. The compiled studies have shown that the existing methods are feasible due to the performance of the integrated ET systems but still need to be improved for practical use.

Eye Tracking in Virtual Reality: a Broad Review of Applications and Challenges

“…VR has the potential to provide an immersive simulation-based training environment, where learners can hone their skills in an environment that is safe to fail and allows correction and repetition with minimal costs, while also allowing the trainer to control the learning environment down to the smallest details. As a result, VR and eye tracking has been used for education and training in several domains including transportation Lang et al (2018) , military, medicine Xie et al (2021) and sports Bird (2020) ; Pastel et al (2022) .…”

Basketball Fixed-point Shot Hit Prediction Based on Human Pose Estimation Algorithm

“…In the prediction structure, YOLOv5 integrates the features, and fuses different low-level features with three paths: prediction1, prediction2 and prediction3, respectively, and outputs the defect target bounding box information and category information. This design can improve the network detection accuracy and robustness against targets of different sizes and attitudes [20]. In this study, the GIoU loss function optimizes the traditional YOLOv5, and IoU loss function expression used by the traditional YOLOv5 algorithm is shown in equation (1).…”

The Use of Immersive Technologies in Karate Training: A Scoping Review

“…Furthermore, it is ideal for practicing motor imagery and managing physiological stress in competition situations, improving performance, and reducing stress in demanding sports scenarios [4]. Also, the combination of eye-tracking technology with VR creates new opportunities to improve interaction techniques, image presentation, and visual perception analysis-all of which have a big impact on training scenarios for athletes [5]. Finally, VR can be a beneficial instrument for coaches and teams, facilitating the development of improved strategies and tactics [1].…”