On the international stage, Grzegorz Bednarski developed ‘WalkinVR’, a software programme designed to make VR games more accessible to people with motor and/or neuromotor disabilities.
WalkinVR is designed to offer an all-in-one solution. The aim is to help people who want to engage and enjoy VR games but lack the physical movement required to play many of the experiences available on the market. The software offers a wide range of options to ‘assist’ people with different disabilities such as those who have suffered a stroke, those who are in a wheelchair or those with spinal muscular atrophy. These individuals may experience a range of difficulties in making movements while playing a VR game. For example, turning or holding the motion controllers at the required height to interact with the surrounding environment. In fact, one of the main features of WalkinVR is the improvement of hand movement, i.e. the type of virtual movement the user makes to turn, bend and crouch. If a player has spasticity in the upper limbs, hand movements can be monitored with the help of a Kinect or Azure device.
If button pressing is a problem, a third party can provide assistance via a gamepad, pressing the required button where required.
The main target groups for the use of the ‘WaliknVR’ software platform are users with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophies, spinal muscular atrophy, neuropathy or orthopaedic problems.
‘WalkinVR’ is the first software with no physical barriers in VR exergaming and is often used as a complement to traditional rehabilitation by professionals.