Working in conjunction with Vancouver company Imago Systems, the developers of DriVR, Lili Liu and co-investigator Masako Miyazaki are among the first occupational therapists on the continent to look at the use of virtual reality technology to simulate aspects of driving. It could become a new method of clinical assessment.
Drivers wear visor-like headsets.
In effect, they see the road ahead and can see from side to side just by turning their heads. While drivers are driving, the computer is generating data, recording such things as speed and tracking. The U of A team is testing about 120 drivers. The team will report its findings to the company early this year. Their findings will be reported at the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists conference in early June.