A novel upper-limb tracking system in a virtual environment for stroke rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Traditional wearable tracking devices for virtual reality rehabilitation are expensive and cumbersome.
• Existing non-wearable solutions often fail to track both arms and all fingers simultaneously, limiting rehabilitation scope.
• Comprehensive upper limb tracking is crucial for effective virtual environment interaction and rehabilitation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel virtual reality rehabilitation system (VRRS) for comprehensive upper limb motion tracking and avatar control.
• To assess the VRRS's impact on virtual body ownership, agency, and usability compared to partial tracking.
• To examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the VRRS for upper limb rehabilitation in stroke patients.

Main Methods:

• Developed a VRRS capable of tracking full upper limb and individual finger motion, mapping it to an avatar.
• Conducted an experiment with 8 healthy participants comparing VRRS to a Leap Motion controller (LP) based system.
• Assessed VRRS feasibility in a study with 27 stroke patients undergoing upper limb rehabilitation.

Main Results:

• The VRRS significantly improved users' sense of virtual body ownership, agency, and location.
• Participants preferred the VRRS over the partial tracking (LP) system.
• Stroke patients in the VRRS group showed significantly greater improvement in upper limb motor function (FM scores) compared to control groups.

Conclusions:

• A novel VRRS was developed, enabling full upper limb and finger motion tracking for avatar control.
• The system enhances user embodiment and provides a superior user experience.
• The VRRS effectively improved upper limb rehabilitation outcomes in stroke patients.