Designing postures for rehabilitation therapies in a multimodal system based on a 3D virtual environment and movement-based interaction

Abstract

Technological advances have facilitated new approaches to support different needs in healthcare environments. In particular, in the field of rehabilitation therapies, we can find software applications that have been developed to support the performance of specific exercises, often with different customization options. However, there are still many gaps that need to be addressed to provide more and better global solutions. In this article, we present a novel system aimed at physiotherapists, which allows them to create new rehabilitation exercises designed to meet the specific needs of their patients. This implies the creation of individualized therapies that contribute to a better and faster recovery of patients. The system consists of a virtual 3D environment with a 3D skeleton representing the patient. The physiotherapist can interact with the skeleton to design the desired postures that the patient should practice according to their personal limitations. The system allows physiotherapists to compose a complete and personalized set of exercises. Alternatively, the physiotherapist may also create the postures by means of a motion sensing device using motion- and voice-based interaction. Both options pose research challenges that the authors have addressed to provide the solution presented in this paper.