An Approach to Physical Rehabilitation Using State-of-the-art Virtual Reality and Motion Tracking Technologies (original) (raw)
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CHALLENGES AND ISSUES FOR SUCCESSFULLY APPLYING VIRTUAL REALITY IN MEDICAL REHABILITATION
Out of the many uses of eLearning-one that stands out for having a potentially great impact on the quality of life of its users-is relearning physical and psychical abilities that were lost after acute illnesses or injuries through rehabilitation processes. Such disabilities are a great burden on the patient, on his caregivers, and on society. Simple everyday tasks represent a challenge and the patient must learn again gestures that seemed habitual before the accident. Amongst the various sciences and technologies that have been used in order to improve the classical rehabilitation processes, Virtual Reality seems to be one of the most promising. Virtual Reality is an emerging science in the field of rehabilitation, that is gaining more and more uses, due to its great advantages, such as stimulating movement and cerebral activity, increasing attention levels and simulation various environments that enhance the rehabilitation sessions. The fact that VR technologies are not yet used o...
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Games can make training procedures more engaging for patients. Considering the complexity of the process for upper limb function rehabilitation, this paper presents the development and an initial evaluation of the AGaR – a serious game with virtual reality and natural interaction, both to aid patients to execute repetitive exercises and to aid physiotherapists to follow the rehabilitation process. Additionally, we obtain and analyze data about patients’ engagement as a differential in relation to others games developed for similar goals. In this game, the patient has to associate two different images with complementary meanings, using a movement sensor to drag the image to the target. We conducted an experiment with physiotherapists in order to evaluate the feasibility of applying the game in real therapies. We also conducted an initial experiment with patients. The results show that physiotherapists believe that the game is effective and might be used during therapies. From the exp...
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Physiotherapy treatments often necessitate patients to perform exercises at home as part of their rehabilitation regimen. However, outside the clinic, patients are often left with inadequate guidance, typically provided in the form of static images or sketches on paper. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted the ability for patients and physiotherapists to engage in face-to-face sessions, leading to suboptimal compliance and concerns about the accuracy of exercise performance. In recent years, there has been a growing body of scientific literature on the application of virtual reality (VR) in physiotherapy. This emerging trend highlights the potential of VR technology to enhance the guidance and effectiveness of physiotherapy regimens. This research paper aims to investigate the impact of VR-based physiotherapy on the guidance and completion of prescribed exercises. To address the limitations faced by patients unable to access in-person physiotherapy due to the pandemic or geographical constraints, we propose the FisioVR application, specifically designed for Android devices. What sets FisioVR apart is its intrinsic guidance and support from physiotherapy experts. To evaluate the effectiveness of FisioVR, we conducted tests with eight respondents who provided valuable feedback via an online form. The results clearly demonstrate that each physiotherapy session carried out using FisioVR has a positive impact and is conducive to achieving the intended therapeutic objectives, effectively promoting recovery. In summary, FisioVR has the potential to bridge the gap between patients and care providers, facilitating home-based and individualized physiotherapy. This innovative application leverages the power of virtual reality to offer a more accessible, guided, and personalized approach to physiotherapy, especially crucial during times when in-person sessions are challenging.