Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the stability of clinicians' and users' rating of
electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) driving while using 4 different human-machine
interfaces (HMIs) within the Virtual Reality-based SIMulator-version 2 (VRSIM-2)
and in the real world (accounting for a total of 5 unique driving conditions).
DESIGN: Within-subjects repeated-measures design. SETTING: Simulation-based
assessment in a research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS:
A convenience sample of EPW
athletes (N=21) recruited at the 31st National Veterans Wheelchair Games.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Composite PMRT scores from
the Power Mobility Road Test (PMRT); Raw Task Load Index; and the 6 subscale
scores from the Task Load Index developed by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA-TLX). RESULTS: There was moderate stability (intraclass
correlation coefficient between .50 and .75) in the total composite PMRT scores
(P<.001) and the users' self-reported performance scores (P<.001) among the 5
driving conditions. There was a significant difference in the workload among the
5 different driving conditions as reflected by the Raw Task Load Index (P=.009).
Subanalyses revealed this difference was due to the difference in the mental
demand (P=.007) and frustration (P=.007) subscales. Post hoc analyses revealed
that these differences in the NASA-TLX subscale scores were due to the
differences between real-world and virtual driving scores, particularly
attributable to the conditions (1 and 3) that lacked the rollers as a part of the
simulation. CONCLUSIONS: Further design improvements in the simulator to increase
immersion experienced by the EPW user, along with a standardized training program
for clinicians to deliver PMRT in VRSIM-2, could improve the stability between
the different HMIs and real-world driving.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS