Virtual reality rehabilitation for all: Vivid GX versus Sony PlayStation II EyeToy

Abstract

hw.haifa.ac.il/occupa/LIRT The main objective of this paper was to investigate the potential of the Sony PlayStation II EyeToy (www.EyeToy.com) for use in during the rehabilitation of elderly people with disabilities. This system is a projected, video-capture system which was developed as a gaming environment for children. As compared to other virtual reality systems such as VividGroup’s Gesture Xtreme (GX) VR (www.vividgroup.com), the EyeToy is sold commercially at a relatively low cost. This paper presents three pilot studies which were carried out in order to provide essential information of the EyeToy’s potential for use in rehabilitation. The first study included the testing of healthy, young adult participants (N=18) and compared their experiences using the EyeToy system to the GX system in terms of sense of presence, sense of enjoyment, control, success and perceived exertion. The second study assessed the usability of the EyeToy with healthy elderly subjects (N=10) and the third study assessed the use of the EyeToy with stroke patients (N=8). The implications of these three studies are discussed. 1