Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Its prevalence calls for innovative rehabilitation methods. The Rutgers Arm is a novel upper extremity rehabilitation system consisting of a low-friction table, three-dimensional (3D) tracker, custom forearm support, PC workstation, library of Java 3D virtual reality (VR) exercises, clinical database module, and a tele-rehabilitation extension. The system was tested on a chronic stroke subject, under local and tele-rehabilitation conditions, over 5 weeks of training. Results show improvements in arm motor control and shoulder range of motion, corresponding to improved Fugl-Meyer test scores. Exercise duration, level of difficulty, and patient motivation were maintained under tele-rehabilitaion. A 1-week retention trial showed that gains were maintained.

We developed a novel interface that gives upper-limb amputees a virtual hand that can manipulate objects in a challenging environment. The interface registers specific myokinetic activity of the residual limbs, and encodes the intended voluntary movements that are then actualized as virtual hand motions. The composite myokinetic interface-virtual reality (MKI-VR) system consists of an array of pressure sensors mounted in an arm sleeve, sensors of elbow-and shoulder-joint angles, a trained filter derived from the pseudoinverse of a response matrix, and a virtual hand model, programmed in Java 3D. Users can manipulate virtual objects such as balls and pegs in a 3D training environment, while their performance at various difficulty levels is scored. In preliminary tests, upper-limb amputees readily gained the ability to grasp and release virtual objects. We propose the utility of the MKI-VR system both as an assessment tool for rehabilitation engineers, and as a motivator for amputees to exercise and thereby maintain their residual motor ability.