title: Using a smart wheelchair as a gaming device for floor-projected games: a mixed-reality environment for training powered-wheelchair driving skills.
abstract: For children with a severe disability, such as can arise from cerebral palsy, becoming independent in mobility is a critical goal. Currently, however, driver's training for powered wheelchair use is labor intensive, requiring hand-over-hand assistance from a skilled therapist to keep the trainee safe. This paper describes the design of a mixed reality environment for semi-autonomous training of wheelchair driving skills. In this system, the wheelchair is used as the gaming input device, and users train driving skills by maneuvering through floor-projected games created with a multi-projector system and a multi-camera tracking system. A force feedback joystick assists in steering and enhances safety.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Mechanical and Aerospace Eng., Univ. of California, Irvine, USA. secoli.riccardo@gmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Secoli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zondervan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reinkensmeyer
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy; D004867:Equipment Design; D005246:Feedback; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D009048:Motor Skills; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012371:Robotics; D014910:Wheelchairs