ABSTRACT

This study investigated the utility of types and formats of presentation of haptic and visual interfaces as part of a virtual reality (VR)-based simulator for training psychomotor skill development. The overarching goal of the research is to advance the state of VR-based haptic simulation design for motor rehabilitation applications. The haptic-control interface functions and visual aids were designed, prototyped and tested for use in the context of a Block Design (BD) reconstruction task, based on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence. Testing was to identify features that might accelerate motor learning. An experiment was conducted in which healthy subjects were trained in the BD task, and observations were made on nondominant hand performance to simulate minor motor impairment. Training effects were measured with the Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure reproduction test before and after three BD training sessions. Participants were assigned to one of three groups, including performance of the native BD task, use of a basic VR simulation

the other hand, pupil contraction implies that a decreased amount of light enters the retina. Therefore, middle-aged people might perceive things as being darker than younger people do.