MotionBlocks offers accessibility to VR games

VR games can require movements, such as raising arms above the head or quickly side-stepping, which can be challenging for people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility.

To decrease these barriers, the researchers created MotionBlocks, a tool that lets users customise the game’s controls to fit the movements they can do.

“VR games are a lot of fun, and they’re important social spaces, especially for younger generations,” said Johann Wentzel, a recent PhD graduate in computer science and the lead author of the research.

“However, VR technology relies on a lot of large movements, which creates a barrier for people who can’t complete them. As soon as you have an application that isn’t accessible to everyone, you’re functionally excluding people with disabilities from these social spaces.” 

The team’s research took place over three phases. First, they invited 10 people with limited mobility to play games, share their frustrations and discuss possible solutions. The Waterloo team then used those testimonials to create MotionBlocks, which modifies how VR game platforms understand controller inputs.