Development and effectiveness evaluation of a virtualized reality telerehabilitation system for accessibility analysis of built environmen

The specific aims of this work are as follow: (1) to develop the Virtual Reality Telerehabilitation System (VRTS) which can enable clinicians to assess the wheelchair accessibility of users' homes from a remote location. (2) to investigate the effectiveness of this new accessibility assessment system using Virtual Reality technology and the Telerehabilitation concept as compared to a conventional assessment method.;The development of VRTS begins with reliability analysis via data accuracy analysis, camera usability analysis, and a field feasibility test study, and it evolves into the development of algorithms to acquire information and images, make 3D models, and analyze accessibility in virtual environments. A guideline for taking good pictures and a survey form have been developed to collect images and descriptive information for the target environment.;A field evaluation is proposed to test whether this new system is comparable to the traditional method of accessibility assessment. In cooperation with a regional architectural firm, three clients requesting an evaluation of accessibility of their houses will be recruited. A target house will be assessed via the Conventional In Person (CIP) method by an architect of the firm and via the VRTS by another architect. A descriptive analysis will be performed to compare the VRTS assessment with the CIP onsite evaluation.