Development of a Powered Wheelchair Driving Simulator for Research and Development Use

Abstract

The purpose of a powered wheelchair driving simulator is to decrease the time and effort in the process of clinic, research and development. In this paper, the design concepts of our driving simulator for research and development use are explained. To design the simulator's software and hardware, two following experiments were conducted. 1: The driver's horizontal field of view was measured. While making a right turn at a corner of a corridor, the movement of the driver's gazing point was measured. From this result, the maximum and minimum values of gazing point movement were analyzed to design the simulator's angle of view. 2: Motion cues such as acceleration and vibration were measured. The characteristics of these motion cues were analyzed to design the motion system. From the experiment results, a driving simulator of a powered wheelchair was developed. To evaluate the driving simulator, the experiment for comparing with a real powered wheelchair driving was conducted. Evaluations improved by the components which were specially designed for the driving simulator.