RollAbility: Aligning Game-Based Wheelchair Skills Training with Clinical Protocols

RollAbility serves as a specialized rehabilitative platform designed to improve powered wheelchair proficiency among children and teenagers by embedding the validated Wheelchair Skills Training Program (WSTP) into an immersive, narrative-driven gaming environment. The primary objective is to bridge the gap between technical simulations and clinical practice, utilizing real-world wheelchair input controls to ensure that virtual training translates effectively to physical mobility. By facilitating an interdisciplinary design process, the system enables therapists to monitor progress and customize difficulty levels in real-time through a companion application, ensuring that the software functions as a clinical tool rather than a standalone replacement for traditional therapy.

Evaluations involving 16 participants, including patients, therapists, and clinical experts, indicate that the platform successfully fosters high levels of engagement, immersion, and perceived mastery. The integration of clinical protocols into game mechanics proves feasible, providing a structured yet motivating alternative to conventional training methods. However, the research identifies a persistent tension between the rigid requirements of clinical protocols and the desire for player autonomy. Because therapists must actively moderate sessions to ensure therapeutic objectives are met, the patient’s ability to independently navigate goals and control the pace of play is frequently constrained.

Ultimately, the findings underscore that successful therapeutic game design requires a delicate balance between clinical oversight and user agency. While the system effectively mirrors real-world driving behaviors, future iterations must refine performance feedback mechanisms and provide more nuanced challenge levels to better support independent skill acquisition. The project establishes a blueprint for interdisciplinary collaboration, demonstrating that while game-based interventions significantly enhance patient motivation, the design must evolve to reconcile the inherent conflict between structured medical instruction and the freedom typically associated with leisure-based gaming.