Title: An intelligent virtual environment to support cognitive rehabilitation: relearning meal preparation skills for independent living

Authors: S.C. Fok, S.Y.E. Lim, G.Y.C. Chan

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Petroleum Institute, P.O. Box 2533, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ' Workplace Safety and Health Council, 5 Maxwell Road, #20-00 MND Complex, 069110 Singapore. ' Rehabilitation Department, St. Luke's Hospital for the Elderly, 2 Bukit Batok Street 11, 659674, Singapore

Abstract: The capability of virtual reality to create dynamic three-dimensional realistic environments, within which behavioural responses to stimulus can be assessed, offers many new opportunities in cognitive rehabilitation. To further advance the state-of-the-art in virtual rehabilitation environments, this paper a framework for an intelligent virtual cognitive rehabilitation environment and presents the development of a virtual kitchen together with an intelligent assistant to guide patients to relearn meal preparation skills. The intelligent assistant uses fuzzy logic to regulate the visual and audio cues based on the patient|s behaviours being monitored. A preliminary clinical trial indicates that the intelligent electronic exercises could complement existing conventional rehabilitation activities in hospitals and enable therapists to better concentrate on the patient|s performances and assessment.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; fuzzy logic; virtual reality; intelligent assistants; virtual environments; cognitive rehabilitation: skills relearning; meal preparation skills; independent living; virtual rehabilitation; virtual kitchen; patient behaviour; intelligent electronic exercises.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBBR.2009.030062

International Journal of Biomechatronics and Biomedical Robotics, 2009 Vol.1 No.1, pp.67 - 77

Published online: 03 Dec 2009 *

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