This research demonstration consists of an integrated hardware and software platform developed for rapid prototyping of virtual reality-based games for upper body exercise and rehabilitation. The exercise protocol has been adopted from an evidence-based shoulder exercise program for individuals with spinal cord injury. The hardware consists of a custom metal rig that holds a standard wheelchair, six Gametraks attached to elastic exercise bands, a Microsoft Kinect, a laptop and a large screen. A total of 21 prototypes were built using drivers for Kinect, MaxMSP and Unity Pro 3 in order to evaluate game ideas based on deconstruction of the exercise protocol. Future directions include validation of our heuristic design and evaluation model and the development of an exercise suite of point-of-care VR games.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.