Design for accessibility: enabling a motion-impaired artist to control a 3D virtual world

Abstract

The application of 3D virtual worlds is not restricted to immersive or desktop virtual environments. Concepts and techniques that became mature in Virtual Reality applications are now finding their way in artistic performances. This paper presents an example of the mutual inspiring effect of art and technology, where the origin and nature of technology itself is used to come to a new artistic solution and language. More specific, we describe our approach to give a disabled person the opportunity to play a major role in artistic performances. In the end, the performance should not only be appealing for the attendance, but especially for the actors involved in the show. The wheelchair of the motion-impaired actor is enhanced by non-intrusive technology, allowing him to navigate in and interact with a 3D virtual world. This way, he controls the performance by determining the images perceived by the attendance. The intriguing 3D virtual worlds are presented to the public via a projection system.