Flexible Virtual Reality System for Neurorehabilitation and Quality of Life Improvement
1
Department of Engineering in Foreign Languages, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
2
Computer Science and Engineering Department, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
3
Department 4, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
4
Department of Dermatology, Elias University Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2020, 20(21), 6045; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20216045
Received: 14 September 2020 / Revised: 14 October 2020 / Accepted: 21 October 2020 / Published: 23 October 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Sensors and Measurements Methods for Quality of Life and Ambient Assisted Living)
As life expectancy is mostly increasing, the incidence of many neurological disorders is also constantly growing. For improving the physical functions affected by a neurological disorder, rehabilitation procedures are mandatory, and they must be performed regularly. Unfortunately, neurorehabilitation procedures have disadvantages in terms of costs, accessibility and a lack of therapists. This paper presents Immersive Neurorehabilitation Exercises Using Virtual Reality (INREX-VR), our innovative immersive neurorehabilitation system using virtual reality. The system is based on a thorough research methodology and is able to capture real-time user movements and evaluate joint mobility for both upper and lower limbs, record training sessions and save electromyography data. The use of the first-person perspective increases immersion, and the joint range of motion is calculated with the help of both the HTC Vive system and inverse kinematics principles applied on skeleton rigs. Tutorial exercises are demonstrated by a virtual therapist, as they were recorded with real-life physicians, and sessions can be monitored and configured through tele-medicine. Complex movements are practiced in gamified settings, encouraging self-improvement and competition. Finally, we proposed a training plan and preliminary tests which show promising results in terms of accuracy and user feedback. As future developments, we plan to improve the system’s accuracy and investigate a wireless alternative based on neural networks.
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Keywords:
virtual reality; neurorehabilitation; quality of life; assistive technology; motion control sensors
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MDPI and ACS Style
Stanica, I.-C.; Moldoveanu, F.; Portelli, G.-P.; Dascalu, M.-I.; Moldoveanu, A.; Ristea, M.G. Flexible Virtual Reality System for Neurorehabilitation and Quality of Life Improvement. Sensors 2020, 20, 6045.
AMA Style
Stanica I-C, Moldoveanu F, Portelli G-P, Dascalu M-I, Moldoveanu A, Ristea MG. Flexible Virtual Reality System for Neurorehabilitation and Quality of Life Improvement. Sensors. 2020; 20(21):6045.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStanica, Iulia-Cristina; Moldoveanu, Florica; Portelli, Giovanni-Paul; Dascalu, Maria-Iuliana; Moldoveanu, Alin; Ristea, Mariana G. 2020. "Flexible Virtual Reality System for Neurorehabilitation and Quality of Life Improvement" Sensors 20, no. 21: 6045.
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