A range of technologies have been utilizing game-based approaches to encourage physical therapy exercises to be undertaken in the home.  The latest of these comes via a new study from the University of Warwick, which highlights how virtual reality and 3D motion capture can help users complete their exercises at home.

It’s common for patients to have to complete various exercises at home as part of their rehabilitation, but with few instructions and little guidance, these are often performed irregularly or incorrectly.  In addition to the poor performance of the exercises leading to worsening physical recovery, patients often become anxious about not performing them correctly.

Virtual help

To test the potential for virtual assistance, the researchers asked participants to wear a VR headset and try and follow the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment.  What the participants didn’t know, is that the actions of the avatar were manipulated, sometimes to be faster, sometimes slower.  This would force the patients to correct their own behaviors to stay in sync with the avatar.  The impact of this was then measured.

“If participants were observed to correct their own stepping to stay in time with the avatar, we knew they were able to accurately follow the movements they were observing,” the researchers explain.  “We found that participants struggled to keep in time if only visual information was present. However, when we added realistic footstep sounds in addition to the visual information, the more realistic multisensory information allowed participants to accurately follow the avatar.”

The researchers believe that there is considerable potential for virtual reality to provide help and guidance for those undergoing physical rehabilitation.  Not only do they think it will encourage proper adherence, but it will also make the exercises more enjoyable.

“Our work and digitally-enabled technological solution can underpin transformative health innovations to impact the field of physiotherapy, and have a direct benefit to patients’ rehabilitation,” they conclude.  “We now plan to investigate other types of movements working closely in partnership with physiotherapists, to establish the areas of physiotherapy that will benefit most from this technology.”