Existing virtual reality (VR) based wheelchair simulators have difficulty providing both visual and motion feedback at low cost. To address this issue, we propose a VR-based wheelchair simulator using a combination of motions attainable by an electric-powered wheelchair and vection-inducing movies displayed on a head-mounted display. This approach enables the user to have a richer simulation experience, because the scenes of the movie change as if the wheelchair performs motions that are not actually performable. We developed a proof of concept using only consumer products and conducted evaluation tasks, confirming that our approach can provide a richer experience for barrier simulations.

We propose a VR-based wheelchair simulator using a combination of vection-inducing movies displayed on a head-mounted display and motions performable by an electric-powered wheelchair. The scenes of the movie change as if the wheelchair performs motions that are not actually performable. We developed a prototype system and conducted an evaluation task, confirming that our simulator can provide a richer experience for barrier simulations.