GEAR: A Mobile Game-Assisted Rehabilitation System

Rehabilitation exercises are an important means for gaining mobility and strength after injuries or surgery. Self-exercising in between physio-therapy sessions is vital for effective rehabilitation. Yet, many people do not follow exercise regimes, which can hamper their recovery. This study proposes GEAR - a mobile GamE Assisted Rehabilitation system - to engage users in self-exercising and to improve adherence to their exercise regime. The system consists of a wearable wristband to monitor users' movements, a mobile game that incorporates the exercises, and a dashboard to monitor and visualize users' exercise performance. GEAR has advantages of portability and lower cost as compared to PC or Kinect-based rehabilitation systems. This study describes GEAR and reports on a pilot assessment of its interface and system. The pilot test demonstrates the feasibility of GEAR and provides feedback that is being used to enhance the system prior to full-scale evaluation.