A feasibility study of an upper limb rehabilitation system using kinect and computer games

Abstract

A new low-cost system for rehabilitation of the impaired upper limb for stroke survivors is presented. A computer game was developed specifically for this purpose and the user's impaired upper extremity is tracked using a downward-pointed Kinect, an inexpensive motion capture system commercially available from Microsoft. A Kalman filter was implemented to reduce data jittering. Patients are required to move their impaired arm, sliding it on top of a transparent support, in order to play the game. The game is personalized to the patient through specific settings that adapt to the patient's range of motion and motor control at the start of the game as well as performance during the game. The final score is proportional to the arm's movement speed. A feasibility study was carried out with one stroke survivor. The game was played for ten days and usability surveys were answered before and after the study. The patient was engaged with the game, found it easy to understand and reported willingness to use it in the home environment and enjoyment of the use in the clinic.

The validity of the first and second generation Microsoft Kinect™ for identifying joint center locations during static postures

“…Several studies have compared the Kinect-based and motion tracking system-based posture and movement, in various fields of biomechanics including; anthropometry measurement (Bonnech ere et al, 2014), spinal loading assessment (Ning and Guo, 2013), clinical foot posture assessment (Mentiplay et al, 2013), body movement during postural control (Clark et al, 2012), gait training (Clark et al, 2013b), gait analysis (Clark et al, 2013a), and rehabilitation tool development (Pastor et al, 2012). In general, the results of these studies indicated that, although the Kinect sensor is not as accurate as more traditional laboratory-based measurement technologies, it does provide good agreement with a motion tracking system in terms of body segment lengths, the major joint angles, and the displacement of the key body joints for those specific body postures being tested.…”

Development of a Kinect Rehabilitation System

“…In one game, the user has to control an avatar in order to climb a hill, and on the other, control an avatar to run. For stroke rehabilitation as well, reference [14] presents a game for upper limbs rehabilitation, in which the Kinect sensor is mounted facing down, so it can measure the range of motion and speed of movement of the user's arms.…”

A virtual reality system for strengthening awareness and participation in rehabilitation for post-stroke patients

“…This is an important feature because different studies proved that a deep involvement of the patients during the rehabilitation process leads to a better and faster recovery [13]. The main disadvantage of VEs is that often no feedback is provided to the patients: the goal of the game can often be reached using different strategies, such as for example compensation movements, that are not corrected by the system as would be by a real therapist [14].…”