Tai Chi Care: An Exergaming Software using Microsoft Kinect V2 for Blind or Low Vision Person during Confinement

Abstract

Blind or low vision people need to practice activities for their mental and physical health to minimize the risk of suffering from articulation pain but they have problems due to difficulties and inaccessibility of displacement especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where everyone in this world was asked to stay at home during confinement. To solve these problems, we have developed a software tool for a care Tai Chi exergaming to encourage them to practice exercise at home using body tracking by Microsoft Kinect V2 and audio feedback. This software acts as a Tai Chi treatment, teaches four poses, and has a customized audio feedback to help person to understand each pose and generates progress graphs to evaluate the success of these exercises. We used the SDK libraries of the Kinect to obtain 3D joint position from sensors of the Kinect to calculate the angles and distances between joints to help the person to position in front of the Kinect, evaluate the different gestures of flexions and extensions of knees and elbows of each exercises, and body balance direction to avoid falling risk. These exercises have been evaluated with persons who are blind or low vision to improve feasibility and feedback.