Sim Ranger

An accessibility training application for the forest rangers

Problem
Design a virtual reality application that addresses one of the problems faced by the National Center on Accessibility. It wants a social learning application to allow participants to explore park service spaces (camp sites, parking lots, trails, restrooms, etc.) and identify what problems they may pose to users with disabilities.

Concept
Sim Rangers is a training module presented as an engaging strategy game. Trainees must increase the accessibility of their park while balancing the budget and desirability of the park for all guests. The recommendations of the Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility are represented by iconic examples of accessible park elements such as accessible trails, camping grounds and comfort stations.

Process
We conducted a physical survey of a local state park to get insights on the accessibility issues faced by these parks. From these insights, we prepared an ontology of a typical park. After discussing various concepts, we came up with a game application (inspired by Sim City). To prepare a demo commercial for our concept, we mashed-up a video from Second Life, and embedded it as a Flash movie.

Team
Chris Ory, Jesse Beach, Kristin Hanks, Vamsi Gadey

Duration
3 weeks (Apr 06)