- Researchers wanted to investigate a virtual coach as an alternative to training provided by a human
- They developed a virtual coach to guide users through breathing exercises
- Majority of study participants found the virtual version likeable, trustworthy and easy to use.
A study by Aston University researchers suggests that a computer-generated breathing coach could be as effective as sessions with a human trainer.
A breathwork trainer guides individuals through various breathing techniques to improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. However, a new research paper indicates that individuals would be as comfortable being guided by an on-screen virtual reality (VR) coach as by a trained professional.
The Covid-19 pandemic affected a huge number of people worldwide not just because of respiratory infections but also by causing long-term anxiety and depression. While there are several medications for treating both the physiological and psychological effects, one of the simplest and most widely used treatments is the use of breathing exercises. However, the services of trained coaches often have to be paid for and individuals may have to pay for and find the time to travel to appointments.
The researchers wanted to investigate both the perception of the virtual coach and evaluate its usability as an alternative to training provided by a human. They developed an online system where a virtual coach guides the user’s breathing through a set of established exercises that can be done at home. The VR instructor which appears on screen was given a human appearance and voice and displayed breathing movements of the chest and head. It guided the users through a breathing cycle of inhale, hold breath, exhale and hold breath.
Twenty volunteers took part and were given a questionnaire afterwards. The results showed that around 73% found the virtual version likeable and trustworthy, 76% found it easy to use and 60% were interested in using it in the future.
The study ‘Usability, acceptance, and the role of realism in virtual humans for breathing exercise training’ is published in Scientific Reports and was led by Dr Ulysses Bernardet, lecturer in computer science. He said: “Although the virtual human-to-human interaction experience provided by our system is not on par with the naturalistic human-to-human interaction, the results indicate that people are willing to replace a real human coach with a virtual coach.
“People are concerned about the accessibility to healthcare due to its high cost and unavailability of trained experts, and the worsening of their health conditions. A large number of people therefore resort to online platforms for help including self-help breathing exercises. Although they are readily available for people to use without any supervision, adhering to such self-help routines over a longer period is often challenging.”
His colleague Professor Aniko Ekart added: “Looking ahead, as virtual humans become increasingly photorealistic, it presents both challenges and substantial potential. Challenges include maintaining consistency in appearance and behaviour, and the ethical considerations in their design and use. The potential lies in achieving human-machine interaction that is as seamless and natural as human-to-human interaction.”
The researchers admit that their desktop system has a limited level of immersion which could affect the level of influence and relaxation that can be achieved. Therefore, as VR equipment is becoming more widely available, they aim to investigate the virtual breathing coach using 3D immersive VR technology in future studies.
- Notes to editors
Usability, Acceptance, and the Role of Realism in Virtual Humans for Breathing Exercise Training published in Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 1536 (2025)
Sanobar Dar
Aniko Ekart
Ulysses Bernardet
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham,https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-82886-7
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-82886-7
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