Old Westbury, NY – The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a grant to Richard Simpson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, to present a workshop on virtual reality, gaming, and individuals with disabilities at the annual meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM).

"A growing field of study has emerged at the intersection of computer science and individuals with disabilities," Simpson says, "but there is a need for increased cross-collaboration among researchers, developers, and clinicians in different labs and across different disciplines. This workshop will provide an interdisciplinary forum aimed to advance the deployment of therapeutic systems based on virtual reality and gaming technologies."

Simpson, who has been working with clinicians since 2009 to develop technology to motivate clients to participate in occupational and physical therapy, also notes that virtual reality and gaming technologies have the potential to dramatically increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation and therapy in a variety of fields and across a number of clinical populations. His previous work on this subject includes presentations on the theme of using technology to motivate patients at major hospitals and conferences, and research on using a target-practice game to increase pointing accuracy, presented at the annual conference on Rehabilitation Engineering in 2013.

"Dr. Simpson's work reflects the importance of cross-disciplinary efforts in solving today's most pressing challenges," says Rahmat Shoureshi, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at NYIT. "It demonstrates the types of collaborative efforts that our university is focusing in our forward-thinking research and teaching activities."

The AACPDM meeting will take place in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 10-13, 2014. Participants in the workshop will include:

• scientists and engineers who are using inexpensive virtual reality and gaming technologies
• clinicians who have used virtual reality and gaming technologies with their clients
• individuals with disabilities who have an interest in virtual reality and gaming technologies

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