James Lewis, from Nottingham Trent s research team, will be demonstrating a software programme which has been of direct benefit to people with disabilities who will be working at Enter2000. He has created a simulated Journey to Work package which recreates the route from Greenwich town centre to the Millennium Dome. The user is able to practise walking though the town to the bus stop, where they wait for the correct number bus to get to the Dome. If they alight the wrong bus an alert will sound and when they get on the right bus the virtual journey will commence, complete with all the landmarks. By regularly meeting with a user group James was able to develop the most effective way of creating a realistic world where people could practise getting to the Dome via public transport before trying the real thing.
People can learn at their own pace, without pressure.
This software is only a prototype, but already, the Greenwich Social Services have expressed an interest in taking on board this technology as a learning tool. The programme guides the speaker through a virtual reality version of the museum. On voice command it responds to requests for information about artefacts in display cabinets and brings up images on screen complete with a verbal description by a museum guide, such as Merlin. The software is aimed at providing people with motor disabilities who may, for example, suffer from shaking hands and cannot therefore control a computer mouse easily - to use multimedia learning packages using voice controls. Using fun computer game techniques, this fun package teaches the player about selecting different tools to mow a lawn depending on the length of the grass, size of the lawn and so on.