Virtual Reality Cycling

The aim of this project was to explore the development of an interactive guided imagery display to be used initially by both the staff and residents of Milford Care Centre Limerick. Now completed, it can potentially be used by anyone for exercise and recreation.On the 3rd of December 2009, the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick 
received an email from the head of the art department in Milford hospice asking about the possibility of a student or a number of students to collaborate on an idea for a project to enable residents and visiting patients of Milford Hospice with a sense of escapism in the physiotherapy room, as the room itself has no ground level windows leaving the current palliative and elderly users feeling trapped in their environment as well as their illness. For the purposes of demonstration, the completed project itself features an interactive display, linked to a stationary bike allowing users to cycle through Google Streetview, with 360º navigation using a Nintendo Wii Remote. The set up may also be used to display pre recorded video landscapes and virtual environments.This project has shown how accessible and inexpensive virtual reality rehabilitative environments can be as it was built and programmed using all off the shelf, freely available, open source software and the device itself can be attached to any stationary or assistive bike.