Safe and effective powered wheelchair (PW) use requires training, which is typically conducted in clinical settings with specific clinical evaluation methods, such as the Powered Mobility Program (PMP). However, these methods lack objective performance assessment.Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising solution for safe, home-based training, also reducing the high costs for healthcare systems. Still, most existing VR-based solutions often rely on joystick or hand-tracking controls, making them inaccessible to individuals with severe upper limb impairments. To address this gap, we developed VR-PMP, a VR-based wheelchair driving simulator integrated with a hybrid Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that combines electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG) signals for control. This system targets individuals with severe motor impairments but preserved cognitive function who could benefit from alternative, non-manual control methods. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of such a BCI system in a group of six adults without disabilities.Results showed that participants successfully navigated the virtual environment using the EOG-EEG BCI, achieving up to 100% accuracy in the classifier evaluation phase. These findings highlight the potential of our system as an innovative, alternative access solution for powered wheelchair mobility, paving the way for future clinical applications.
Marcaccini et al. (Sun,) studied this question.