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