Context:
Augmented Reality (AR) filters can modify the appearance of a user’s own body in real time, opening new possibilities for studying self-perception and embodiment. Altering the visual representation of hands and arms in first-person view—for example, by changing their size, shape, or texture—may affect how users perceive limb position, movement, and agency. This thesis would explore how such visual transformations influence body schema, proprioceptive accuracy, and motor performance. Students could create AR prototypes to apply controlled visual distortions, run user studies to measure perceptual and behavioral effects, and analyze implications for rehabilitation, gaming, and immersive training scenarios.
The main objective is to investigate how augmented reality filters applied to the user’s arms and hands (via Snap Spectacles) influence body perception, agency, and ownership, both during live interaction and after first-person video replay.
The project will be developed in Lens Studio (https://lensstudio.snapchat.com) and Snap Spectacles (https://www.spectacles.com)
Protocol:
Participants wear Snap Spectacles 4 while performing simple manual tasks (e.g., looking at their arms, picking up objects, moving hands).
Three AR filter conditions are tested:
Natural arms (no distortion),
Visually distorted arms (longer/thinner),
Non-human texture (e.g., metallic, cartoon-like).
After each condition, participants replay their own FPV video, observing their arms through the applied filter.
They complete embodiment questionnaires assessing agency, ownership, body image, and self-identification.
Requirements
- Knowledge of English language (source code, comments, and final report should be in English)
- Object Oriented Programming skills (C/C++/C#), knowledge of TypeScript is advantageous
- Knowledge of Game Engines (Unity, Unreal, Lens Studio) and Augmented Reality is advantageous
Contact
For more information please contact Hugo Brument (https://www.vr.tuwien.ac.at/people/hugo-brument/) hugo.brument@tuwien.ac.at