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Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Interrater Reliability of the Power Mobility Road Test in the Virtual Reality-Based Simulator-2
Deepan C Kamaraj1, Brad E Dicianno2, Harshal P Mahajan3
1Center of Excellence in Wheelchairs and Related Technology, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Objective:
To assess interrater reliability of the Power Mobility Road Test (PMRT) when administered through the Virtual Reality-based SIMulator-version 2 (VRSIM-2).
Design:
Within-subjects repeated-measures design.
Setting:
Participants interacted with VRSIM-2 through 2 display options (desktop monitor vs immersive virtual reality screens) using 2 control interfaces (roller system vs conventional movement-sensing joystick), providing 4 different driving scenarios (driving conditions 1-4). Participants performed 3 virtual driving sessions for each of the 2 display screens and 1 session through a real-world driving course (driving condition 5). The virtual PMRT was conducted in a simulated indoor office space, and an equivalent course was charted in an open space for the real-world assessment. After every change in driving condition, participants completed a self-reported workload assessment questionnaire, the Task Load Index, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Participants:
A convenience sample of electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) athletes (N=21) recruited at the 31st National Veterans Wheelchair Games.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Total composite PMRT score.
Results:
The PMRT had high interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]>.75) between the 2 raters in all 5 driving conditions. Post hoc analyses revealed that the reliability analyses had >80% power to detect high ICCs in driving conditions 1 and 4.
Conclusions:
The PMRT has high interrater reliability in conditions 1 and 4 and could be used to assess EPW driving performance virtually in VRSIM-2. However, further psychometric assessment is necessary to assess the feasibility of administering the PMRT using the different interfaces of VRSIM-2.
