Vsens: Incorporating XR into the Process of Collecting Virtual IMU Data

Virtual Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) offer a promising approach to generating synthetic motion data for training and evaluating human activity recognition (HAR) systems. However, existing virtual IMU workflows remain fragmented and technically demanding, requiring users to switch between 3D editors, scripting tools, and offline signal processing pipelines. These limitations hinder usability and iterative refinement for researchers and developers who design HAR systems. We present Vsens , an XR-based system that unifies virtual IMU configuration, visualization, and data synthesis within an immersive workspace. Vsens allows developers to directly manipulate sensor placements on digital avatars and observe synthesized IMU signals in real time. To understand how developers with different expertise levels benefit from such an environment, we conducted a user study with 20 HAR developers covering a broad range of experience levels. Results show that Vsens improves configuration efficiency and fosters deeper spatial understanding of sensor behavior across the participants. Beyond usability, our findings reveal how embodied interaction and real-time feedback inform the design of practical virtual data collection systems that foster more effective and human-centered workflows.