How is WalkinVR Working?
Know all the functions about how we can help disabled people experience Virtual Reality. Turning, crouching and rising your hands – all these and more are possible with the WalkinVR.
Virtual Reality Solution for People with Disability is finally here!
ABOUT THE PROJECT
We make the virtual reality accessible for disabled people.
Our solution supports players with motor disorders - wheelchair users and other disabled people - as well as allows for making exercises more varied by doing a workout in Virtual Reality (VR).
OUR ADVANTAGES
Know the WalkinVR
Disabled Players
For disabled players and the private persons have willing to explore the VR (Virtual Reality) in full Feel the freedom and the lack of any limitations in their virtual reality.
Health & Exercises
Create a VR game room and watch the activities never going to be boring and monotonous again and again!
Alternative for rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
How does the WalkinVR work
Gameplay in VR with Assistance
Another person can assist to disabled person while playing Virtual Reality game. With an Xbox Controller operated by another person can be used to assist the player with movement and button pressing.
Virtual Movement and Rotation
Players are now able to move and rotate in virtual reality without having to perform the movement in the real world. This feature is most utilized when players need to prone, kneel, stand and turn around 360 degrees.
This feature is often used by players in the wheelchair or lying in bed.
Adjustment of Controller Position
Players can adapt the controllers’ position and range of motion to compensate their limitations. This feature helps players who are not able to move their controllers to the height or dept required by the video game.
Position adjustment is useful when you cannot raise hands like muscular dystrophies, spinal muscular atrophies or stroke.
Tracking of Deficient or Spastic Hands
Problems with holding a controller can be addressed by hand tracking without the controllers.
In such case deficient or spastic hands can be tracked by Kinect device.
VR accessibility for the physically disabled persons
Thanks to abundant and commonly available VR technology the headsets and controllers are enough to immerse yourself in the virtual word, where you are free to do anything. But only when you are physically capable of executing moves required by the gear…
Thus many peoples with disability cannot get the full VR experience without help.
The WalkinVR makes virtual reality more accessible.
You can adapt your VR environment so that any game or software will become possible to play – and regardless of your actual physical limitations!
Our application have already been used by people with conditions like: multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, muscular dystrophies, spinal muscular atrophies, neuropathy, Lyme disease, and other kinds of orthopedic problems.
What does the WalkinVR do?
It adapts the virtual reality for disabled persons.
The VR engages both the mind and body of the player, requiring proper, most real movements. When a person experiences movement limitations, those problems get transmitted within VR too.
However, since that reality is virtual, it can be fully adapted to the player’s disabilities
Weak hands can be raised to the eyes’ level in virtual reality
Poor movement ranges can be enhanced
Game controllers can be virtually moved in space
Health, workout & exercises for disabled people.
Thanks to the VR patients can have a good time playing, while certain moves and challenges can be smartly „smuggled in” by the carer.
Playing Virtual Reality games requires a number of definite moves or assuming certain positions, which constitute functional tasks and potentially can provide diversion to traditional rehabilitation. Patients progress within game tasks, while breaking through their mental and physical barriers.
Why play publicly available games with WalkinVR.
Dedicated games
- Created for, and fulfilling specific rehabilitation goals
- Only initially attractive due VR technology
- Limited propositions due to limited budgets
- Losing their attractiveness relatively soon
Publicly available games
- Huge budgets due to wide market (millions of USD)
- Games planned to be involving and addictive
- The constant flow of new propositions
- Ongoing support for their attractiveness
Advantages of workout conducted in virtual reality environment
makes the otherwise dull and repetitive activities more attractive
potential to transfer skills acquired in virtual reality to physical world as indicated by researches
learns new motor patterns (e.g. crossing a street) in the safe environment
What happens when you practice in Virtual Reality?
“Any person, when exercising with virtual reality enhancement, is actually having real physical training, completing his physiotherapy done in the gym. It is an additional rehabilitation form. Among the participants an interesting phenomenon is observed – a person focused on the tasks and quests of the virtual world game, is much bolder with physical movements both during the VR session, and later during functional therapy in the gym .”
Avalon Foundation
Uses the WalkinVR in their VR Game Room since 2018 r.
Strong commitment, internally motivated moves
The patient is focused on achieving the result, not on the number of repetitions.
Increased self-confidence in the face of proposed quests
Unconsciously initiated movements are most often accomplished with a greater range than under the therapist‘s instructions
Level and nature of „enhancements” are fully adjustable to the patient’s capabilities and intended therapeutic results.
Strong commitment, internally motivated moves
Technology
WalkinVR is a software for general purposes such as games or other VR-based entertainment. The software can also be used for lifestyle and wellbeing purposes, such as workout using VR technology. WalkinVR is intended to make such leisure activities more accessible to people with disabilities.
The WalkinVR allows for adaptation of any VR environment on the SteamVR platform.
It was tested with Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, Valve Index.
The game must run in SteamVR environment.