State of the Science: Virtual Reality
By Mahajan, Harshal; Kumar, Amit; PN: Paraplegia News, Vol. 63, No. 9, pp. 52-54Publication Date: September 2009
Article features presentations from the 15th State of the Science Workshop, organized by Walter Reed Army Medical Center in association with the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) of the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System and the University of Pittsburgh, on the topic of virtual reality (VR). VR is defined as a realistic simulation of an environment, including three dimensional graphics, by a computer system using interactive software and hardware. Presentations explained the following advancements in clinical use of VR to benefit wounded veterans: (1) RealWorld, a PC-based platform that enables nonprogrammers to build geographically specific virtual worlds and simulations such as building interiors and exteriors and simple objects; (2) the Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP) at the Hiram G. Andrews Center in Johnstown, Pa., which uses the Sims 2 game to provide social and job skills training to young adults with cognitive impairments; (3) the use of VR to provide virtual driver training for people with traumatic brain injury; and (4) amputee mobility skills training using the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system, an advanced VR system that comes with a hydraulic motion platform with six degrees of freedom along with a computerized analysis system to describe the user’s postural control and balance strategies. Also presented was a smart wheelchair in development at the University of Pittsburgh: the Personal Mobility & Manipulation Appliance (PerMMA), mounted with two robotic arms that can be teleoperated by a clinician via the Internet.
Published by: PVA Publications (Website:http://www.pvamagazines.com)
Paralyzed Veterans of America (Web Site: http://www.pva.org )
