Virtual reality in Autism: Subject review

Bellani, M., Fornasari, L., Chittaro, L., Brambilla, P.
"Virtual reality in autism: state of the art", Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 20(3): 235-238.

Link to the pre-print article
hcilab.uniud.it/publications/2011-03/VRInAutismEPS.pdf

Objective: This short article reviews eight “behavioural studies investigating VR in patients with Autism disorders and healthy subjects.”

Variations in the domains of social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour characterize Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Virtual reality or the creation of virtual environments is potentially useful as a treatment medium for ASD. Stimuli can be managed to permit focus on selected activities; concept learning and activity practice can occur repeatedly. And hopefully the environments are realistic enough to prompt transfer to real world interactions.

Findings: Several studies found positive improvements in because safe, repeatable diversifiable tool for learning. The eight studies found that when children can limit off-task behaviour, complete the tasks, they may improve performance. Two studies found that newly gained skills generalized outside the virtual environment.

Augmented Reality & Mobility

OutRun video game vehicle
This project leads the way for other augmented-reality mobility platforms.

Garnet Hertz, a research scientist at the Centre for Computer Games and Virtual Worlds, ics.uci.edu turns the 1980’s driving arcade game Sega Outrun into an electric vehicle. Operating on streets while using the video game monitor provides an augmented forward view that may help people with visual impairments.

Youtube video youtube.com/UCIBrenICS#p/u/4/zd-t7WoshS4

Garnet Hertz - research scientist in informatics
“The project started with thinking what would it be like if this driving arcade game could actually drive. ... A number of pieces of software that run here that look in front of the car, try to interpret what the features there are in front of the car. In this case it looks specifically for roads, and then it draws that road shape in the style of the original video game. So this software that is running looks like the old video game but its actually an augmented reality type of system that tries to make the real world look like a video game from the 1980’s.”

Walt Scacchi - Research Director at the Centre for computer games and virtual worlds at the University of California at Irvine
“...one of the things that is starting to arise from it is whole new ways of thinking about how game-based virtual worlds can be embodied into physical devices in order to create new experiences. One of the things that may come from the outrun project are new ways of associating game-based therapies for people who might be limited to electric chair assisted mobility, kids who have limited mobility ...may be able to take advantage of this technology if we can get it embodied in, rather than the form of an arcade machine, also in the form of a powered wheelchair.”

Garnet Hertz' website conceptlab.com

Video game highlights accessibility features

The Spanish group the game kitchen have created a simple puzzle game that showcases accessibility features. The game has no time limit and no death as the player goes through the levels. Controls permit variable game speed, interaction by mouse, keyboard or voice control, a high contrast feature and the ability to manage distractions by turning off sound effects and music.

To watch the accessibility options on Youtube youtube.com/watch?v=hxdMsaTxm-0

To play Attractor thegamekitchen.com/attractor

Download Attractor thegamekitchen.com/attractor/attractor-redis01.zip
http://www.thegamekitchen.com/attractor/attractor-redis01.zip
Download the game

Choosing between games for rehab: the prequel

Subject Review: Facilitating clinical decision-making about the use of virtual reality within paediatric motor rehabilitation: Describing and classifying virtual reality systems
Galvin, J., & Levac, D.
Developmental Rehabilitation,, April 2011; 14(2): 112-122

Link to abstract: informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17518423.2010.535805

Objective: to describe and categorize VR game systems using characteristics relevant to paediatric rehabilitation.

Method: Literature search followed by paper review. Descriptive process to develop classification framework. Based on articles on seven virtual reality game systems: Dance Dance Revolution, EyeToy, IREX by Gesturetek, Pediatric Intensive Therapy System (PITS), PlayStation 3 sensor glove and WiiFit.

Findings: All VR systems possessed three features: they require the player to move in space, they offer an exactly reproduced environment for repeated practice and provide augmented feedback.

A descriptive table is provided to identify the characteristics of each game. The classification system identifies five game characteristics and two variables in user ability that the games should accommodate.

• Game should have properties that are relevant to therapists and that can be both manipulated and measured.
  
  
• Games should target various body movements; it’s best if these can be assessed for quality of movement.
  
  
• Motor demands of the games should change independently from cognitive demands.
  
  
• Users should be able to play without fine motor control, and VR games accommodate both sitting or standing positions.

Experimenting with Kinect

This Peter Wayner article from the New York Times of July 20th details how the hacker-friendly Kinect is being adapted for artistic uses and as a unique home amusement. Kinect’s cameras collect body movements in three dimensions. This could create an opportunity for adapted game playing. Various software helps non-programmers easily create visual or sound feedback environments operated by gestures and movements. It is also possible to do keyboard activities using gestures instead.

Link to this article: nytimes.com/2011/07/21/technology/personaltech/kinect-hacking-finds-a-wider-crowd.html?_r=1&ref=technology

Related New York Times article:
nytimes.com/2010/11/22/technology/22hack.html

Kinect hacks
kinecthacks.net
kinecthacks.com
hackaday.com

Blog
kinecteducation.com/

Minigames offer adapted ‘slow fun’

Digital games for physical therapy: fulfilling the need for calibration and adaptation

Guerts, L., Vanden Abeele, V., Husson, J., Windey, F., Van Overveldt, M., Annema, J-H. & Desmet, S. Proceedings of the fifth international conference on Tangible, embedded, and embodied interaction, 117-124 doi>10.1145/1935701.1935725

Link to abstract and references portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1935725

There has been a move from joystick game controllers to a variety of controllers; from fine motor control to whole body movements, creating an opportunity for people with limited fine motor control to play video games. This paper looks at mapping controllers (calibration) and altering game settings (adaptation) to make games available to people with spasticity. Video games used as therapy tools should be adaptable to the capabilities (and potential) of the player and responsive to the goals defined by the therapist. The authors define calibration: “the fit of the game to the patient”, and adaptability: “game mechanics such as speed and accuracy should be easily adjustable and designed to accommodate [for] a wide range skills”.

After evaluating currently available video games, they discover that the relationship between game actions and ‘correct’ therapy movements (mapping) is insufficient to accommodate their test sample of game players with spasticity.

The authors develop four minigames that offer ‘slow fun’ for people with limited motor control to maintain range, increase strength, and increase coordination. The games variably use arm movement, standing balance, head movements and seated weight shifting to activate webcam, Wii remote, and balance board controllers. The sensitivity of the input devices were sufficient both for these players and for these applications. “It is important however that the game parameters can be adjusted to the players skills and development goals”.

Link to conference TEI '11

Advances in Game Accessibility

Paper review: Advances in Game Accessibility from 2005 to 2010
Westin, T., Bierre, K., Grammenos, D. & Hinn, M.

Published in: C. Stephanidis (Ed.): Universal Access in HCI, Part II, HCII 2011, LNCS 6766, pp. 400–409, 2011. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

Link to abstract: www.springerlink.com/content/v5231nn67304275m/

The references in the text below can be found at www.citeulike.org/group/8459

This document summarizes published research literature between 2005 and 2010 on game accessibility. The review organizes accessibility research by the type of disability and alternate feedback modality.

Reduced vision is accommodated using auditory or tactile (haptic) inputs (Savadis et al., 2007; Atkinson et al., 2006; Archambault & Olivier, 2005; White et al., 2008; Gutschmidt et al., 2010; Sepchat et al., 2006; Archambault, Guady & Meisenberger, (nd); Roden & Parberry, 2005; Sanchez & Saenz, 2005; Morelli et al., 2010; Oren et al., 2008; Sanchez & Elias, 2007; Folmer et al., 2009; Pascale et al., 2008; Glinert & Wyse, 2007; Miller et al., 2007; Allman et al., 2009; Yuan & Folmer, 2008; Sanchez et al., 2009).

Impaired hearing receives feedback through haptics (Brashear et al., 2006).

Motor disabilities feedback comes through adapted controls (Lepicard et al., 2007), speech (Sporka et al., 2006), or both modalities (Norte & Lobo, 2008).

The authors highlight game interaction models: (Archambault et al., 2008; Grammenos et al., 2007; Grammenos et al., 2009; Ossmann et al., 2008; Yuan et al., 2010; Torrente et al., 2009).

Game accessibility guidelines are identified: (Archambault et al., 2008; Ossmann et al., 2008; Tollefsen & Flyen, 2006).

Results of selected user surveys (Trewin et al., 2008; Trewin et al., 2008) are included.