Title: An interactive and innovative application for hand rehabilitation through virtual reality

Authors: Shriram K. Vasudevan; Karthik Venkatalachalam; S. Aakash Preethi; G. Mithula; G. Navethra; Krithika Nagarajan

Addresses: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Information Technology, M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering, Karur, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India

Abstract: Physiotherapy has been very monotonous for patients and they tend to lose interest and motivation in exercising. Introducing games with short term goals in the field of rehabilitation is the best alternative, to maintain patients' motivation. Our research focuses on gamification of hand rehabilitation exercises to engage patients' wholly in rehab and to maintain their compliance to repeated exercising, for a speedy recovery from hand injuries (wrist, elbow and fingers). This is achieved by integrating leap motion sensor with unity game development engine. Exercises (as gestures) are recognised and validated by leap motion sensor. Game application for exercises is developed using unity. Gamification alternative has been implemented by very few in the globe and it has been taken as a challenge in our research. We could successfully design and build an engine which would be interactive and real-time, providing platform for rehabilitation. We have tested the same with patients and received positive feedbacks. We have enabled the user to know the score through GUI.

Keywords: rehabilitation; physiotherapy; gesture; leap motion sensor; recovery; virtual reality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAIP.2020.105816

International Journal of Advanced Intelligence Paradigms, 2020 Vol.15 No.3, pp.252 - 272

Received: 22 Apr 2016
Accepted: 27 Oct 2016
Published online: 16 Mar 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article