Goal-oriented balance rehabilitation system for balance disorder

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Game Design
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Balance is crucial for daily activities and quality of life.
• Balance disorders affect individuals with orthopedic and neurological conditions.
• Current rehabilitation methods may lack engagement and motivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective exercise system for balance disorder rehabilitation.
• To integrate sensor technology with target-oriented video games for enhanced therapy.
• To evaluate the system's impact on patient motivation and treatment adherence.

Main Methods:

• A microcontroller-controlled sensor module and Unity game engine were utilized.
• The system translates patient movements into synchronized in-game character actions.
• A clinical trial involving 36 patients with balance disorders was conducted.
• The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) assessed patient engagement and motivation.

Main Results:

• 91.96% of participants found the system engaging.
• 97.70% believed the system would positively contribute to their treatment.
• Game-based balance exercises demonstrated a significant increase in patient motivation.

Conclusions:

• The developed system effectively enhances patient motivation in balance rehabilitation.
• Target-oriented video games show potential for improving balance therapy outcomes.
• Future enhancements could include advanced hardware, patient monitoring, and 3D game designs.