Tele-rehabilitation and Multi-user VR
Background
Tele-rehabilitation is the remote delivery of rehabilitation services through telecommunication and internet technologies. It enables patients to access therapy, including physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive rehabilitation, from home, making it especially beneficial for individuals with mobility issues, those in remote areas, or anyone facing challenges in accessing conventional rehabilitation facilities.
XR is revolutionizing the field of tele-rehabilitation by providing immersive and interactive environments for patients, regardless of their physical location. XR technology enables therapists to conduct remote assessments, deliver personalized therapy sessions, and monitor progress in real-time. This approach helps in breaking down geographical barriers and making rehabilitation services more accessible. Additionally, multi-user XR platforms foster a collaborative and supportive environment, allowing patients to engage in group therapy sessions and activities with peers or family members, enhancing motivation and social interaction during the rehabilitation process.
What does it look like?
Extended Reality (XR) could open the door to treating patients at home without compromising medical supervision. Patients and therapists would be connected through a virtual platform, allowing for the monitoring of the patient's progress. (Para)medical data could be integrated with cognitive data to provide a comprehensive picture of the patient's health status.
As part of the XRehab project, we co-created use cases with rehabilitation professionals and XR companies. In the development of this exciting project, we collaborate closely with partners such as the PWO-project Remote Coaching of Wouter Blondeel from Onderzoeksgroep Sport en Bewegen Howest. Their expertise and commitment contribute to the success of our efforts to elevate telerehabilitation to new heights.
Prototyping
In this use case, we explore the boundaries of rehabilitation and coaching by integrating a virtual exercise room equipped with real-time body tracking technologies and VR glasses. This innovative system is designed to provide an enjoyable experience for patients/athletes, allowing them to exercise in a safe and controlled environment. By offering individual coaching or guidance in small groups, we focus on personalising the rehabilitation/exercise process. Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of virtual reality in the recovery/exercise process, increase motivation, and ultimately bring about faster and more meaningful progress for the patient/athlete.
“A VR space that looks like a gym or in passthrough mode, where both patient and therapist/coach join in VR, and they can see each other’s avatar performing the exercise. This way the patient can see how exactly the exercise is done correctly and the coach can correct the patient in real time, getting additional feedback with visuals eg. measurement of the angle of the patient’s bent knees. Can also be with multiple patients at a time, like a sports class.”
— Member XRehab