An innovative gait rehabilitation system was developed that combines the use of advanced rehabilitation techniques with a virtual reality (VR) training environment. The creation of this project has been the result of a multidisciplinary team varying in a wide range of expertise. Computer science, engineering, modeling, and simulation capabilities were required to develop the VR environment, interactive GUI, and the data recording and analysis tools. Physical therapists contributed to the design and evaluation of the system, and are conducting the evaluation study with stroke patients. Physician collaborators have assisted with patient recruitment.
This project aims to demonstrate that improved gait rehabilitation can be accomplished using a VR environment composed of widely available, relatively inexpensive, and unobtrusive hardware components. A validation study with stroke patients is currently ongoing.
The VR-Gait system consists of VR software that generates and displays a dynamic urban environment on a large high definition television mounted in front of a treadmill. The treadmill is paired with an overhead suspension device that can provide a patient with partial weight support. Inertial tracking is used to actively monitor a patient’s posture during a training session and prompt auditory cues that encourage a patient to maintain correct walking posture.
Research
Contributors
(in alphabetical order)
Jessica Crouch, Ph.D.
Dept. of Computer Science, ODU
Gianluca DeLeo, Ph.D.
Dept. of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Hector Garcia
Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center
George Maihafer, Ph.D.
Dept. of Physical Therapy
Stacie Ringleb, Ph.D.
Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center
Nigel Tierney
Dept. of Computer Science
Bonnie Van Lunen
Dept. of Exercise Science
Martha Walker, Ph.D. (project PI)
Dept. of Physical Therapy
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