Designing a Driving Simulator in an Immersive Virtual Reality Environment as an Engaging Driving Game for Older Adults

In this project a driving simulator in virtual reality will be designed and developed, in which a user can drive a virtual vehicle in a country road with incoming cars and traffic lights and possibly some animals crossing the road. The users will learn the path to reach a destination through the trial and then they are supposed to drive the virtual vehicle in the same pathway and by doing so, strengthen their spatial navigation skills. The game will be played by a physical steering wheel and two pedals for acceleration and brake like a real car. The game is also designed to be suitable for older adults with dementia. It will also have different difficulty levels. While this short project is dedicated to the design and development only, it will have great applications for individuals with dementia as it will be an engaging and mood-uplifting game while also will likely improve the users’ cognitive function

Faculty Supervisor:

Zahra MK Moussavi

Student:

Sogol Masoumzadeh

Partner:

Riverview Health Centre Foundation

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

University of Manitoba