Examining the usability of a virtual reality driving simulator

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The current study examined specific aspects of usability of a newly developed VR driver rehabilitation (VR-DR) system. Measures of user feedback and user comfort were examined among 54 participants: 33 individuals with acquired brain injury (20 with traumatic brain injury and 13 with cerebral vascular accident) and 21 healthy controls. All participants were administered the VR-DR and completed the VR-DR User Feedback Questionnaire. To examine group differences, a one-way analysis of variance was performed, comparing the user feedback total score between the three groups. The results indicated that the two clinical populations (traumatic brain injury and cerebral vascular accident) varied from the nonclinical population (healthy controls). A standard multiple regression analysis revealed that age was the only significant participant factor that contributed to the differences in user feedback ratings. Finally, consistent across the three groups, a distinct relationship was found between the self-reported user rating and the onset of simulation sickness. The current findings indicate that individuals with traumatic brain injury and cerebral vascular accident provided less favorable user feedback ratings than healthy controls in the use of a new VR-DR system. This difference was not accounted for by differences in gender, education, or cognitive status and was only slightly accounted for by age. Delineating these various aspects of user feedback can assist in identifying potential confounds in VR-DR performance and help refine the application of the VR-DR for clinical decision making.

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