Editorial: Exploring Human-Computer Interactions in Virtual Performance and Learning in the Context of Rehabilitation

Virtual reality (VR) environments are becoming increasingly prominent in rehabilitation (Howard, 2017), but much remains to be understood about the influence of human factors on the effectiveness of virtual interactions. VR environments relevant to rehabilitation contexts vary in terms of interaction interface requirements and methods of input and control (Lubetzky et al., 2020). Other technological affordances such as level of immersion, the type of feedback provided, or the complexity of audiovisual graphics may also influence outcomes in rehabilitation contexts, and the extent to which interactions in virtual environments transfers to improved outcomes in real life. In order to support the emerging evidence-base, it is important to understand how user characteristics interact with the technological attributes of virtual environments to influence performance, behaviors and learning. The goal of this Research Topic was to highlight insightful and multidisciplinary examples of the potential impact of human-computer interactions in virtual environments in the context of rehabilitation.

Many of the articles in this Research Topic discuss the need for human-computer interfaces to individualize interventions by tapping into the emotive aspects of rehabilitation. To this end, Elor and Kurniawan present a bridging review that links immersive virtual reality to rehabilitation. They propose a theoretical framework that informs design of a computationally-adept medium for physical rehabilitation. Their framework expands the perception of VR by proposing a rehabilitation-specific VR system which would integrate emotional feedback, among other outcomes collected in real-time...