Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Specialized Game Controls to a Better Wheelchair

Posted by Zonk on from the video-games-improving-lives dept.

meganthom writes "The BBC is carrying a story about how an Engineering Rehabilitation Unit at Swansea's Morriston Hospital adapted the chin controls Sam Mansel used to play video games to create a special wheelchair that has signicantly improved the teen's life. Mansel, who has athetoid cerebral palsy, hasn't been able to use a traditional wheelchair for years. Now, with the skills he learned playing video games, Sam is able to drive himself almost anywhere. "

9 comments

  1. It depends on what games he plays. by El+Icaro · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It would be a bit strange if he only played RTS or Plataforming games. Maybe the real improvement would come from racing games, that way he could have really known what keys were for what. It is mentioned in the article probably but I didn't read it yet.

    1. Re:It depends on what games he plays. by brilinux · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it says that he is good at virtual 3-d racing games, and so the applications of how he plays those games can work with the wheelchair. It is very interesting, and could be quite useful in the future.

    2. Re:It depends on what games he plays. by dmayle · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe the real improvement would come from racing games

      I just hope he hasn't been playing Burnout 3... ;)

  2. That is not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The naviation stalk. The autopilot does not work at hyperspeed so you have to use the joystick. Didn't your mother ever give you a gameboy?

  3. A New Event for the Paralympics by NashCarey · · Score: 1

    So, who is going to take the gold for Halo 2? I would hate to play someone with the technology in Madden. They get full time experience with the controls.

    If this may be the first time people go out and break their legs (instead of taking steriods) to compete.

  4. In more recent news by Moo+Moo+Cow+of+Death · · Score: 1

    And in an absolutely stunning (cough) media announcement, Sony, the company that runs games like Everquest and SWG, rules that hardware that helps you play games or perform multiple functions is against their EULA because it is considered macroing. It's also reported by and large, the community decides they don't give a flaming fuck and people ignore EULAs because of the ridiculous shit like that, that gets put in them :) P.S. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking in reference to, Sony had a spat over hardware that could macro without third party software. Hardware generally meant for handicap people.

  5. Training my son for a wheelchair using Quake 3 by Sinistar2k · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My nearly 3 year old son has CP and, as yet, still can't even sit up by himself. So, at some point, he is going to require a power wheelchair for mobility.

    In order to get him ready for that eventuality (and to have somebody with whom I can play Q3 - I admit it), I blew the dust off of an old PlayStation fighter controller - large form factor, stick controller, large buttons - and hooked it up to my PC. Using it, he is learning how to manipulate the joystick for forward, back, left, and right movements.

    My hope is that once he has that concept of movement mastered, he will be able to apply it to a similar stick on a wheelchair.

    My secondary hope is that he'll chase me around the level during LAN play. :)

  6. Choose your educational video games wisely! by Spunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now, with the skills he learned playing video games, Sam is able to drive himself almost anywhere.

    I like how the next article on the front page is about Grand Theft Auto.

    1. Re:Choose your educational video games wisely! by Bloke+in+a+box · · Score: 1

      Good luck to him. It's nice to see that people unfortunate to have CP are able in some way to have some form of quality of life.