Electric wheelchair simulator as a man-machine system.

The procedure for adapting an electric wheelchair for use by a particular patient has not yet been perfected. This paper describes an attempt to improve this procedure with the aid of computer-aided simulation and must be regarded as a pilot study. In this simulation a bird's-eye view of the movement of the wheelchair is represented on the screen of a display terminal. A procedure that had been worked out beforehand was tested on 16 subjects, including 4 patients who came into consideration for an electric wheelchair. Some procedural and task-oriented parameters were investigated. The discussion deals with forms of simulation and the particular influences on the learning effect, among other things. It is concluded that the simulator described may be a useful aid in the evaluation or adaptation of electric wheelchairs, though it does not give all the information needed. Further research is required.