Investigating the use of Spatialized Audio Augmented Reality to enhance the outdoor running experience

Abstract

Recent years have seen increasing interest in the use of Virtual Reality technology to enhance the experience of physical exercise activities. When such technologies are used, they are traditionally employed to an indoor setting. In this study, we investigate the use of Spatialized Audio Augmented Reality (AAR) to allow users to compete against their past running records in real time. An experiment study was carried out where 84 participants used the AAR system to compete against a virtual opponent generated using (1) their previous best record, (2) an enhanced version of their previous best record, (3) the previous best record of another user in comparison to (4) a control group. The results showed that while the Augmented Reality conditions did significantly enhance the running performance of users, it did not outperform the traditional training experience to a significant degree. In terms of user experience, participants competing in AAR against their past best record and an enhanced version of their previous best record reported a higher level of tension but did not feel more challenge or competence. After reflecting upon the design of our system, we then highlight several insights regarding the use and design of AAR to promote running related exercise activities.