The Arts et Métiers institute will present its AccesSim project—a virtual reality simulator for driving a wheelchair in an urban environment—as part of the Laval event "Bougez Autrement" (Move Differently).
The Arts et Métiers Institute of Arts et Métiers was asked to present the AccesSim project from the Arts et Métiers Presence and Innovation Laboratory as part of the Laval event "Move Differently", organized to raise public awareness of so-called "soft" modes of transportation, while linking them to well-being and health.
This event is not only an opportunity for the Institute to demonstrate its commitment to health, but above all it is an opportunity for the laboratory team to present their AccesSim project—a virtual reality simulator for driving a wheelchair in an urban environment.
By replicating wheelchair navigation in a virtual environment, the simulator allows users to experience the person, , thanks to a force feedback system, the difficulties of the terrain, which vary depending on the nature of the ground: asphalt, cobblestones, etc.
Through this immersive experience, the Laboratory hopes to raise awareness among the general public about the difficulties encountered by people with reduced mobility (in wheelchairs).raise public awareness of the difficulties encountered by people with reduced mobility (in wheelchairs), as well as urban planning decision-makers such as architects, who can anticipate obstacles or constraints that they would not have been able to see in non-virtualized projects.