Comparing children's driving abilities in physical and virtual environments

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Virtual Reality in Healthcare

Background:

• Powered mobility devices are crucial for children with disabilities, enhancing independence.
• Training and practice are essential for proficient wheelchair navigation.
• Limited accessible and safe practice environments exist for pediatric powered mobility users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare children's wheelchair driving performance in physical and virtual environments.
• To validate the McGill Immersive Wheelchair Simulator (MiWe-C) for pediatric use.
• To assess the efficacy of a high-fidelity simulator for training.

Main Methods:

• 30 children (5-18 years) with physical disabilities used powered wheelchairs.
• Participants completed a physical route and a high-fidelity simulation of the same route.
• The 32-item Powered Mobility Programme (PMP) assessed driving performance in both modes.

Main Results:

• Overall PMP scores were high and not significantly different between physical and simulated driving (p=0.09).
• Five specific PMP tasks (e.g., narrow corridors, doorways) showed higher scores in the physical driving mode.
• The MiWe-C demonstrated high fidelity in replicating real-world driving challenges.

Conclusions:

• The MiWe-C is a validated, affordable, and user-friendly simulator for children with physical disabilities.
• It provides a viable additional practice mode for powered mobility skills, usable in various settings.
• The simulator allows for independent practice, reducing the need for constant adult supervision.