Specialized Game Controls to a Better Wheelchair

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. "

Comments

It depends on what games he plays.

[El Icaro]

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.

Re:It depends on what games he plays.

[dmayle]

Maybe the real improvement would come from racing games

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

Training my son for a wheelchair using Quake 3

[Sinistar2k]

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. :)

Choose your educational video games wisely!

[Spunk]

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.