Development and evaluation of low cost game-based balance rehabilitation tool using the microsoft kinect sensor

Abstract

The use of the commercial video games as rehabilitation tools, such as the Nintendo WiiFit, has recently gained much interest in the physical therapy arena. Motion tracking controllers such as the Nintendo Wiimote are not sensitive enough to accurately measure performance in all components of balance. Additionally, users can figure out how to "cheat" inaccurate trackers by performing minimal movement (e.g. wrist twisting a Wiimote instead of a full arm swing). Physical rehabilitation requires accurate and appropriate tracking and feedback of performance. To this end, we are developing applications that leverage recent advances in commercial video game technology to provide full-body control of animated virtual characters. A key component of our approach is the use of newly available low cost depth sensing camera technology that provides markerless full-body tracking on a conventional PC. The aim of this research was to develop and assess an interactive game-based rehabilitation tool for balance training of adults with neurological injury.

A Context-Aware Application to Increase Elderly Users Compliance with Physical Rehabilitation Exercises at Home via Animatronic Biofeedback

“…Also based on motion tracking, the work by Lange et al [12] proposes a gamification approach to physical rehabilitation, in which a low cost depth sensing camera is used together with a game of balance training for adults suffering from neurological injury. Given that cameras can impose constraints regarding the patient's relative position to the camera, Daponte, de Vito, and Sementa [13] proposed a system based on wearable Inertial Measurements Units (IMUs) for range of limb motion measurement in home rehabilitation.…”

A Preliminary Study of Using Kinect-based Physical Rehabilitation System to Perform Tai Chi Exercises with FLS Evaluation

“…Moreover, there are also some applications in developing health-care, rehabilitation or in-home activity monitoring of elders. For example, Lange, et al [15] developed a low-cost balance rehabilitation tool using Kinect and Stone and Skubic [16] also presented a Kinect-based system to monitor elderly adults to avoid fall risk while performing in-home activity.…”

Game System for Rehabilitation Based on Kinect is Effective for Mental Retardation

“…With the emergence of Kinect for Windows, because of Kinect's diversified functions and low price (Zhang, 2012) Nowadays, the use of the commercial video games as rehabilitation tools has gained much interest in the physical therapy arena (Lange et al 2011). Kinect as a new type of console has lots of advantages in rehabilitation training for children with mental retardation, which are proved to be more effective than those traditional methods (Yeung et al 2014).…”

“…The first advantage of Game System for Rehabilitation based on Kinect is the low cost, which allows more people to get the rehabilitation medical training (Lange et al 2011). As Laura (2013) pointed out, the low cost video games based on motion capture are potential tools in the rehabilitation context in exceptional child, whose research had showed improvements in balance and ADL in CP participants in a school environment (Luna-Oliva et al 2013).…”