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Quick Facts:
Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY – Getting back behind the wheel is a big milestone for many survivors of strokes and serious injuries as they work to resume their daily lives. In a first for Oklahoma City, patients can now get meaningful practice under the watchful eye of a therapist with Mercy’s new full-cockpit driving simulator.
“This is a game changer for patients who want to safely resume driving but need realistic practice to test themselves mentally and physically,” said Robert Rosser, Mercy’s director of therapy services. “This is the only full-cockpit driving simulator in Oklahoma City, and it’s as close as you can get to the real thing. Patients will get a real sense of where their capabilities are and be more confident about when it’s safe to start driving again.”
The driving simulator is at Mercy Therapy Services – Quailbrook, 4401 W. Memorial Road, Suite 125. It’s one of many therapy services offered for all ages at the location.
About the driving simulator
The immersive, high-tech driving simulator puts the patient in an actual driver’s seat, behind a real steering wheel and fully realistic setup including pedals, turn signals and more. The seat is on a platform that simulates a car’s movement. Multiple screens surround the patient’s field of vision, with blind spot screens behind them.
The simulator’s software allows the patient and therapist to choose settings and situations relevant to each patient. It can simulate urban, suburban and rural scenes on neighborhood roads, city streets or major highways. It offers a variety of weather and lighting conditions and even sudden distractions like animals in the road or swerving traffic to test reaction times and awareness.
The simulator can also be set up to help drivers with disabilities adjust to adaptive equipment to be installed on their own vehicles for safe use.
With the driver behind the wheel in a controlled and safe – but realistic – environment, they’re also under the expert care of a Mercy therapist. Physicians, therapists and other caregivers work together with the patient using the simulator and other data points to provide comprehensive and personalized assessments.
Patients can ask their physical therapist or other health care provider about whether the driving simulator is a fit for their rehabilitation plan.
Visit the Mercy Therapy Services – Quailbrook webpage on mercy.net or call 405-752-3060 for more information.
