Comparison of virtual wheelchair driving performance of people with traumatic brain injury using an isometric and a conventional joystick.

UNLABELLED: Cooper RA. Comparison of virtual wheelchair driving performance of people with traumatic brain injury using an isometric and a conventional joystick.\ud \ud OBJECTIVE: To compare wheelchair driving performance in a driving simulator using a conventional joystick and an isometric joystick.\ud \ud DESIGN: Randomized, cohort study.\ud \ud SETTING: A research facility based in a hospital or in an independent living center.\ud \ud PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N=20; 12 men, 8 women; mean age ± SD, 30.62±10.91 y) who were at least 1 year post-TBI.\ud \ud INTERVENTIONS: Driving performance using an isometric joystick compared with a conventional movement joystick.\ud \ud MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average trial completion time, and trajectory-specific measures measured orthogonal to the center of driving tasks: root mean squared error, movement offset, movement error, and number of significant changes in heading.\ud \ud RESULTS: After statistically controlling for driving speed, participants were able to complete the driving tasks faster with an isometric joystick than while using a conventional movement joystick. Compared with the conventional joystick, an isometric joystick used for driving forward demonstrated fewer driving errors. During reverse driving the conventional joystick performed better.\ud \ud CONCLUSIONS: The customizable isometric joystick seems to be a promising interface for driving a powered wheelchair for individuals with TBI.\ud \u