Third-Person Perspective Avatar Embodiment in Augmented Reality: Examining the Proteus Effect on Physical Performance

Embodiment in augmented reality (AR) is applicable to various fields such as exercise and education. However, full-body embodiment in AR is still challenging to implement due to technical problems such as low body tracking accuracy. Therefore, the study on the impact of an avatar in AR on user performance is limited. We implemented an AR embodiment system and investigated its impact on user physical performance. The system allows users to see their avatar instead of their real body from a third-person perspective. The results show that a muscular avatar improves user physical performance during and after controlling the avatar.