Does level of motor impairment post stroke influence the user experience of a virtual environment?

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) provides a three-dimensional computer representation of a real world or imaginary space through which a person can navigate and interact with objects to carry out specific tasks. VR can be used as an assessment and training tool for patients with stroke who have sensory-motor deficits of the limbs. Our research group has built a system, which gives the user the ability to interact with objects by touching, grasping and moving their upper limb. A range of user perspectives has been tested with people following stroke and the relationship between the user experience and their level of impairment has been explored