RehabGesture: An Alternative Tool for Measuring Human Movement

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Human Movement Analysis

Background:

• Traditional range of motion (ROM) measurement systems (e.g., Vicon, Visual 3D) are prohibitively expensive for public health and private clinics.
• Telerehabilitation, a subset of telemedicine, aims to enhance motor and cognitive recovery and measure kinematic data like ROM improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present RehabGesture, a cost-effective tool for measuring upper limb range of motion (ROM).
• To provide a system that integrates with virtual reality for engaging rehabilitation and physical evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Kinect(®) gesture recognition sensor.
• Incorporated principles of Natural User Interface and Open Natural Interaction.
• Developed software to measure and record ROM within a virtual reality environment.

Main Results:

• RehabGesture accurately measures elbow flexion/extension (0-145°) and shoulder abduction/adduction (0-180°).
• The system records ROM during user interaction with a virtual reality environment.
• Demonstrated applicability in athletic training, physical evaluation, and clinical rehabilitation settings.

Conclusions:

• RehabGesture offers an affordable solution for measuring upper limb movement.
• The tool can stimulate teaching and learning in human movement studies like kinesiology.
• Provides a valuable, accessible option for both clinical and educational applications in movement science.