Pioneering a virtual reality neurological rehabilitation application
Communicative flow redesign
Key overview
In the world of speech-language pathology, we embarked on a mission to tackle communication challenges when transitioning patients out of specialized care. We created a virtual reality kitchen to help patients generalize language and cognitive skills. I optimized the user journey by fine-tuning instructions and enhancing the virtual environment. Surprisingly, users adapted well to the 3D space. The improved platform fosters expanded conversations and dynamic language development. The journey of innovation continues, promising to bridge communication gaps and improve lives in the field of speech-language pathology.
Background
In the realm of speech-language pathology (SLP), research illuminates the path to revolutionary technologies. SLPs rely on nuanced research to guide their work, addressing language and cognition challenges among language-impaired clients. This project embarked on a mission to address the intricate communication challenges that arise when transitioning clients out of specialized care.
A bit of a pickle
The conflict lay in the intricate communication challenges faced when transitioning clients from specialized care. These challenges include:
the struggle to generalize language and cognitive skills to everyday environments
the persistence of cognitive and language issues even after specialized care
the gap between patient discharge and lingering deficits in language and cognition.
We took the scenic route
To address these challenges, a virtual reality 8’ x 12’ simulation of a galley kitchen was created, designed to facilitate networking and interaction between SLPs and clients. This innovative platform allowed for scenarios like making a cup of coffee or a sandwich, providing a dynamic environment for the generalization of language and cognition.
User journey
My involvement in this project played a pivotal role in improving the user journey within the virtual environment. I collaborated with communication experts and developers in fine-tuning instructional text to align it with the specific communication needs of our users and ensuring that users would funnel into the target action of finishing the preparation of a virtual sandwich. By deconstructing and enumerating the procedure for such a specific action, a seamless transition from the virtual realm to real-world language requirements was facilitated. Further modifications across various facets, encompassing voice, surroundings, and multimodal communication elements, were also championed with the overarching goal of enhancing the user's journey.
The big showdown
The culmination of my efforts led to a successful reception of Project Neuro by my cohort and other graduate students specializing in language from other universities. I initially feared a lack of conversion because of the novelty of 3-dimensional space and associated sensation; however, trained users expressed a high level of comfort while touring the virtual environment. While conducting mock training sessions with clients, graduate students gave positive feedback for the numeration of steps for the target task of the simulation, making a sandwich. These changes ultimately allowed for a more dynamic, but stable language development environment.
The calm after the storm
With these improvements in place, the virtual environment became a more efficient platform for SLPs and SLP trainees. It was amazing to witness that the diverse spatial elements of the interactive environment encouraged expanded conversations among users, going beyond the prescribed dialogue and creating a freeing language development space.
The closing chapter... for now
Looking ahead, further risk mapping and the implementation of a mixed experimental design are crucial to study user behavior. This iterative approach will further refine the application's effectiveness, ensuring its continued evolution towards shipping to meet the ever-evolving needs of the speech-language pathology field. The journey of innovation in SLP is ongoing, and I am eager to continue contributing to its growth and success. This project stands as a testament to the power of technology in bridging communication gaps and improving the lives of those with language and cognition challenges.
