In this report the possibility for drivers with no functional use of the lower body parts (people with paraplegia) to use various input device types while driving with adaptations is examined. Subjects with paraplegia drove in a driving simulator at straight road sections and negotiated roundabouts, left turns, and curves. At these situations they pushed buttons and rotated selector switches. Their performance was compared with that of able-bodied drivers. The results indicate that: (1) a ring rather than a segment accelerator should be used, when systems utilizing these control elements are built into a car; and (2) that even with a ring accelerator a disadvantage will remain for people with paraplegia. It is shown that: (a) the driving performance of all drivers may be affected by their expectations or intentions to perform a certain task; and (b) that the extent to which driving is affected depends on the input device type. (A)
Abstract