The Determination of Wheelchair User Proficiency And Environmental Accessibility Through Virtual Simulation
Abstract:
In this paper we describe a system which allows a power wheelchair user to drive through a virtual architectural environment. The system addresses the current lack of methods for evaluating a disabled person in order to match them with a suitable power wheelchair control mechanism. First we describe the system itself, including its hardware and software components and its user interface. Then we discuss both using the system to evaluate user proficiency and using the system as an architectural design tool, and we briefly describe our experience with a disabled person using the system. We conclude with a brief discussion of future plans. There are several hundred thousand power wheelchairs in use today, with approximately 23,000 new power wheelchairs purchased every year [Invacare 93]. Two recent developments promise greater accessibility to power wheelchair users: 1) recent advances in microcomputer technology have made increasingly sophisticated power wheelchair control mechanisms possible, and 2) the Americans with
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