Wearable Immersive Virtual Reality for Children with Disability: a Case Study

Abstract

Our research explores the potential of Wearable Immersive Virtual Reality (WIVR) as learning tool for children with disability, particularly Neurodevelopmental Disorder (NDDs). NDD is characterized by severe and often co-existing deficits in the cognitive, emotional, and motor areas. The paper discusses the learning potential of WIVR and presents the design and preliminary evaluation of Wildcard, a novel WIVR system designed in cooperation with NDD specialists. Virtual environments are displayed on a smartphone placed inside a commercial low cost VR viewer while children interact with the virtual world through gaze focus and direction. An exploratory study performed at a care center sheds a light on the behavior of children with NDDs in wearable immersive virtual reality environments and highlights the learning potential as well as the possible difficulties of using this technology with this target group.