ViEW: a wheelchair simulator for driving analysis.

ViEW: a wheelchair simulator for driving analysis. Assist Technol. 2018 Aug 07;: Authors: Morère Y, Bourhis G, Cosnuau K, Guilmois G, Rumilly E, Blangy E Abstract The powered wheelchair (PW) has become an essential mobility assistive technology for people with motor disabilities. A critical step involved in maximizing the end-user experience is evaluating individual functional abilities to identify driving difficulties PW users experience during their daily activities. There are certain limitations, however, associated with on-road driving assessments, such as the practical concern of safety. And while extracting quantitative parameters such as joystick control or trajectory tracking from real wheelchairs is feasible, it requires modifications to the PW hardware architecture and, in some cases, to the physical test environment. Using powered wheelchair simulation for driving analysis offers flexibility for safely evaluating the individual's driving performance in a variable environment and situations ranging in difficulty. Additionally, it makes it possible to measure numerous variables involved in the driving process, which can then be used for computing driving performance indicators. The main objectives of this pilot study were to assess PW users' outdoor driving abilities (functional motor skills, smoothness of control, subjective driving behavior) to study how the simulator can improve outdoor driving task performance, and to d...
Source: Assistive Technology - Category: Rehabilitation Tags: Assist Technol Source Type: research