A Standalone Controller-Free Mobile VR Architecture for Ecologically-Situated ADL Spatial Rehearsal with Edge-Based Behavioral Telemetry

Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising spatial computing medium for rehearsing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) within neurodivergent populations. However, prevailing simulation methodologies rely heavily on tethered desktop hardware, abstract handheld controller interfaces, and cloud-dependent data architectures, collectively limiting ecological validity, deployment feasibility, and data privacy compliance. This exploratory pilot study presents a standalone, controller-free mobile VR architecture for spatially grounded ADL rehearsal, integrated with edge-based behavioral telemetry and a remote Wizard of Oz (WOZ) scaffolding protocol. The framework deploys Perceptual Reconstructions—contextually faithful VR reconstructions of a Chennai Metro transit station and a regional Indian supermarket—on standalone Android VR headsets connected through a zero-configuration offline Local Area Network (LAN) architecture. Native hand-tracking replaces conventional controllers to reduce extraneous cognitive load, while a kinematic synchronization protocol maintains seamless spatial orientation across scene transitions. Thirteen neurodivergent pediatric participants (N=13) completed fine-motor retail sorting tasks using bare-hand interactions; a sub-cohort (N=8) completed multi-step financial transaction and spatial memory tasks within the metro simulation. The edge telemetry framework processed 394 discrete interaction events across all sessions with zero critical system failures, zero data loss, and no dependency on cloud infrastructure. The findings validate the technical feasibility of a standalone, privacy-preserving VR architecture for ecologically-situated ADL spatial rehearsal. The deployment establishes a methodological foundation for future large-scale, IRB-approved neuro-inclusive spatial computing research.