A collaborative VR healthcare experience developed in partnership with OCAD University's Masters Program in Design for Health. This immersive virtual hospital simulation features realistic environments, physics-based wheelchair navigation, and interactive medical scenarios designed to study senior citizens' interactions with virtual healthcare spaces.
My Approach
Our approach focused on creating an accessible and realistic VR hospital environment that senior citizens could navigate intuitively. We implemented a physics-based wheelchair system with grab-handle controls that mimicked real-world movement patterns. The hospital corridors, rooms, and medical equipment were meticulously modeled to match real-world dimensions, ensuring spatial authenticity. By prioritizing smooth performance and intuitive interactions, we created an experience that allowed elderly users to engage naturally with the virtual healthcare environment.
Vision and Innovation
The vision behind this project was to bridge the gap between traditional healthcare spaces and emerging VR technologies. By creating a virtual hospital that seniors could navigate and interact with, we aimed to gather valuable insights about accessibility, wayfinding, and emotional responses to virtual healthcare environments. This innovative approach allowed healthcare designers to test spatial configurations and interaction models without the expense of physical construction, while providing a safe environment for seniors to familiarize themselves with hospital procedures.
Identifying Unique Challenges
One of the primary challenges was designing VR interactions suitable for elderly users with potentially limited technical experience or mobility issues. The wheelchair navigation system needed to feel intuitive while maintaining physics-based realism. Additionally, we had to ensure the virtual hospital environment was detailed enough to be convincing without overwhelming users or causing discomfort. Performance optimization was crucial to maintain smooth framerates and prevent motion sickness, particularly important for senior participants.
Resolving Complex Problems
We resolved the wheelchair movement challenges by developing a custom controller script that allowed users to grab and push virtual handles with natural movements. The physics system was carefully tuned to provide realistic momentum and turning without tipping or erratic behavior. For the hospital environment, we implemented optimized lighting and materials that balanced visual fidelity with performance. The navigation paths were designed with clear sightlines and recognizable landmarks to prevent disorientation in the virtual space.
User-Centric Design
The entire experience was built around the needs of senior citizens, with special attention to comfort and accessibility. The wheelchair's movement speed, turning radius, and control sensitivity were all calibrated based on early user testing. Visual elements featured high contrast and clear signage to accommodate varying levels of visual acuity. The virtual checkup procedures were designed with simplified interactions that focused on the experience rather than complex controller manipulations, ensuring users could focus on the environment rather than the technology.
Meeting User Needs
This VR hospital simulation addressed the need for safe, repeatable healthcare environment testing with elderly populations. For healthcare designers, it provided valuable data on how seniors interact with and navigate medical spaces. For the senior participants, it offered a risk-free way to familiarize themselves with hospital procedures, potentially reducing anxiety about real-world medical visits. The data collection system was designed to be unobtrusive, recording movement patterns and interaction points without disrupting the immersive experience.
Detailed Features
Physics-Based Wheelchair System: Custom-developed controller with realistic movement and turning mechanics
Interactive Hospital Environment: Accurately scaled corridors, rooms, and medical equipment
XR Interaction Toolkit Integration: Grab-handle controls and interactive objects throughout the environment
Optimized Performance: Maintained consistent framerates for comfortable VR experience
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Developed for both PC testing and Oculus Quest 2 deployment
User Behavior Recording: Unobtrusive data collection for research purposes
Conclusion
Completed in just two weeks, this VR hospital simulation successfully delivered on all client objectives. The project demonstrates how virtual reality can bridge the gap between healthcare design research and practical implementation, providing valuable insights into how senior citizens navigate and interact with medical environments. By combining realistic physics, accurate spatial modeling, and intuitive controls, we created an immersive experience that served both as a research tool and as an introduction to virtual healthcare spaces for elderly users.
