School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
Interdisciplinary Research Center in Rehabilitation (CRIR), Quebec, Canada.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2023 Nov;18(8):1489-1499. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2022.2039307. Epub 2022 Feb 17.
Individuals with impaired mobility often require assistance for getting around. The skilled use of a manual wheelchair (MW) is required in order to gain independence while preventing injuries. Training in a virtual reality (VR) setting allows for safe practice of MW skills in a wide range of environments. We developed a low-cost MW simulator which includes visual and haptic feedback. Our objectives were to assess the usability and fidelity of the VR simulator, by clinicians and expert MW users, and to determine whether the addition of haptic feedback would positively improve the user's experience.
This mixed method study investigated the sense of presence, overall experience and ease of use of the experience in six MW users, as well as five clinicians (wheeled mobility experts) who practiced in the simulator.
Participants reported a positive perception of usefulness, sense of presence, and immersion during the MiWe simulator experience. The addition of haptic feedback to the simulator significantly enhanced fidelity of the overall experience, compared to the no-feedback condition.
Our low-cost simulator was well perceived by clinicians and MW users and was considered as a potentially useful tool to complement MW skill training.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONWe developed a low-cost, virtual reality simulator with visual and haptic feedback, for the practice of manual wheelchair skills.Expert clinicians and wheelchair users reported a positive experience after practicing in the wheelchair simulator, in terms of presence, realism and usability.Participants highlighted the potential usefulness of our low-cost simulator in the training of manual wheelchair skills.
行动不便的个体通常需要他人协助才能四处移动。为了在防止受伤的同时获得独立，需要熟练使用手动轮椅（MW）。在虚拟现实（VR）环境中进行培训可以在广泛的环境中安全地练习 MW 技能。我们开发了一种低成本的 MW 模拟器，它包括视觉和触觉反馈。我们的目标是评估 VR 模拟器的可用性和逼真度，评估对象为临床医生和专家 MW 用户，并确定触觉反馈的增加是否会正面改善用户体验。
这项混合方法研究调查了 6 名 MW 用户以及 5 名临床医生（轮椅移动专家）在 MiWe 模拟器中的存在感、整体体验和易用性。
参与者报告了在 MiWe 模拟器体验中对有用性、存在感和沉浸感的积极感知。与无反馈条件相比，在模拟器中添加触觉反馈显著提高了整体体验的逼真度。
我们的低成本模拟器得到了临床医生和 MW 用户的良好认可，被认为是一种补充 MW 技能培训的潜在有用工具。
我们开发了一种具有视觉和触觉反馈的低成本虚拟现实模拟器，用于练习手动轮椅技能。
在轮椅模拟器中进行练习后，专家临床医生和轮椅使用者在存在感、逼真度和易用性方面报告了积极的体验。参与者强调了我们低成本模拟器在手动轮椅技能培训中的潜在有用性。
