## 3 Results
### VR and RABT Balance Performance in Healthy Older Participants  
Participant data were analyzed to assess changes in balance metrics following both interventions. Pre- and post-training averages for AP and ML directions (RMS and MaxD values) were calculated for healthy older adults in the RABT and VR training groups during wide and tandem stance conditions with eyes closed. The graphs below depict results that showed significant changes.  
In the RABT, AP MaxD in tandem stance showed significant differences (\(p=0.018\)). The VR group demonstrated significant changes in ML RMS values during tandem stance (\(p=0.045\)).  
No statistically significant differences were observed across the investigated groups. However, we noted trends in the BESS scores that may warrant further investigation with larger sample sizes. The RABT healthy group showed a mean reduction of 2.09 points on firm surfaces and 3.69 points on foam surfaces following robotic training; a reduction in score would mean an enhancement in balance performance on stable surfaces following robotic training.  
The results from the ABC Scale assessments (Figure 5) reflected insignificant improvements in perceived balance confidence across both healthy groups. In the VR group, average balance confidence was approximately 87% (pre-training) to 89% (post-training),  
Figure 5: Comparison of Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scores pre- (white) and post-training (gray) for (**a**) VR and (**b**) Robotic (healthy) group means with standard error bars shown.  
Figure 6: ABC scores versus total BESS Scores for (**a**) VR (**b**) RABT groups for pre-intervention (blue) and post-intervention (red); trend lines with corresponding R\({}^{2}\) values are also shown.  
while the RABT showed similar results of 86% (pre-training) to 88% (post-training). These were insignificant changes.  
As shown in Figure 6, prior to the intervention the VR group demonstrated a minimal correlation between balance confidence (ABC scores) and balance ability (BESS scores). The pre-intervention correlation coefficient (R\({}^{2}\)) was 0.00, indicating a complete absence of a linear relationship between participants' perceived balance confidence and their actual balance performance. This suggests a significant disconnection between participants' self-assessment of balance capabilities and their objective balance performance. The post-intervention analysis revealed a dramatic transformation in the relationship between balance confidence and balance performance. A pronounced negative correlation emerged, with the R\({}^{2}\) increasing to 0.65. This significant shift demonstrates that the VR training substantially recalibrated participants' perception of their balance abilities.  
In contrast, the RABT group exhibited a moderate negative correlation between ABC and BESS scores before training, with an R\({}^{2}\) of 0.51. This pre-existing relationship indicated that participants had a somewhat more accurate, albeit imperfect, perception of their balance abilities. As BESS scores increased (indicating more balance errors), ABC scores tended to decrease, reflecting a basic alignment between perceived and actual balance performance.