TheraGame: A home based virtual reality rehabilitation system

The limitations of existing virtual reality (VR) systems in terms of their use for home-based VR therapy led us to develop “TheraGame”, a novel video capture VR system. TheraGame operates on a standard PC with a simple webcam. The software is programmed using a Javabased visual interaction system. This system enables a quick and easy definition of virtual objects and their behavior. The user sits in front of the monitor, sees himself and uses his movements to interact with the virtual objects. The objective of this presentation is to present the system, a number of the current applications, and some initial pilot usage results. Results from a study of 12 healthy elderly subjects showed moderate to high levels of enjoyment and usability. These scores were also high as reported by 4 participants with neurological deficits. Some limitations in system functionality were reported by one person with stroke who used TheraGame at home for a period of 2.5 weeks. Overall, TheraGame appears to have considerable potential for home based rehabilitation.

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