Arm and trunk kinematic features during reaching in virtual and real world environments

In this study we characterized patterns of arm and trunk movement during hand reaching in two environments: virtual and physical. In the virtual environment, subjects used less trunk displacement, had jerkier and larger hand paths, and used more arm torsion around the shoulder-hand distal vector. In conclusion, virtual and physical environments do not generate identical motor performances. Differences in reaching patterns may be attributed to the lack of depth perception in the 2D virtual environment.