A Cost-Effective Virtual Environment for Simulating and Training Powered Wheelchairs Manoeuvres

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Powered wheelchair control presents intuitive challenges for new users.
• Inexperienced operation can lead to hazardous collisions, risking injury to users and others.
• Traditional training methods are often limited by safety concerns and cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a cost-effective virtual reality (VR) simulator for powered wheelchair training.
• To assess the feasibility of VR as a safe alternative to real-world powered wheelchair training.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Wheelchair-Rift prototype simulator.
• Integration of Oculus Rift head-mounted display and Leap Motion hand tracking.
• Face validity assessment by a panel of experts from a Posture and Mobility Service.

Main Results:

• The Wheelchair-Rift simulator was successfully developed as a cost-effective prototype.
• Expert assessment indicated positive face validity for the VR training solution.
• Initial results suggest the simulator is a promising tool for powered wheelchair training.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality offers a viable and safe environment for powered wheelchair user training.
• The Wheelchair-Rift simulator presents a cost-effective approach to improving powered wheelchair driving skills.
• Further development and testing are warranted for this innovative training solution.