Evaluation of Task Workload and Intrinsic Motivation in a Virtual Reality Simulator of Electric-Powered Wheelchairs

Abstract For some people with severe physical disabilities, the immediate driving of an Electric-Powered Wheelchair (EPW) appears as a safety problem, which can be solved by the use of a virtual reality (VR) simulator for safe-driving learning purposes. There are several VR environment approaches in the literature applied to EPW driving training, including several tests that were performed to validate these simulators. This work evaluates the influence of different display devices on task workload and intrinsic motivation of participants, using the Simcadrom EPW Simulator developed at UFES/Brazil. Results from two qualitative tests: Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) and NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) were compared for three displays (Head Mounted Display – HMD, desktop screen, and video projector). The results show that the HMD provided the highest usefulness score. On the other hand, the desktop screen reported the lowest task workload.