A VR-Based Simulator Using Motion Feedback of a Real Powered Wheelchair for Evaluation of Autonomous Navigation Systems
PubDate: September 2021
Teams: The University of Tokyo
Writers: Hiroshi Yoshitake；Kazuto Futawatari；Motoki Shino
Abstract
Autonomous navigation systems for powered wheelchairs are drawing attention to support older adults in moving outdoors. It is important to evaluate how the users behave and feel when they experience autonomous navigation for their development. VR-based simulators are used to evaluate user’s behavior and subjective assessment in various scenarios without putting anybody at risk. However, it is difficult to reproduce realistic motion feedback in the simulator using motion platforms. Moreover, this physical feedback influences user’s perception of self-motion, which affects their behavior and feeling. In this paper, we proposed a novel simulator that gives real motion feedback while simulating various scenarios by combining a virtual reality headset and a real powered wheelchair. Experiment results showed that subjective assessment of comfort during autonomous navigation differed between the proposed simulator and a simulator without motion feedback, indicating that perception of the wheelchair’s behavior was enhanced by real motion feedback.
