Effect of Customized Ride on Car Experience on Development of Pediatric Patients

Children with mobility impairments are restricted in their ability to interact with their physical and social environment. Therefore, they cannot develop the same cognitive and social skills as their peers without mobility limitations. This is highly detrimental to the development of children who cannot afford a power wheelchair at an early age or only gain access to a power wheelchair with insurance much later in life. Modifying a commercial battery-powered ride-on-car (ROC) has emerged in popularity as a readily available, cost-effective power mobility device for children to provide motorized independence and opportunities for peer interactions. Today, many existing ROCs are customized specifically for one child's needs, and their effectiveness is typically measured qualitatively with parental questionnaires and video analysis. This research has produced a modified ROC with a modular control system, which can be readjusted to help a wide range of children with varying medical needs and develop their driving skills. Additionally, many advances have been made in directional steering, collision avoidance, and parental wireless control. The modified ROC is also equipped with data collection capabilities to compose quantitative measurements about the child's usage, performance, and progress in driving and motor skills.