Adaptive, Multisensorial, Physiological and Social: The Next Generation of Telerehabilitation Systems

Abstract

Some people require special treatments for rehabilitating physical, cognitive or even social capabilities after an accident or degenerative illness. However, the ever-increasing costs of looking after an aging population, many of whom suffer chronic diseases, is straining the finances of healthcare systems around Europe. This situation has given rise to a great deal of attention being paid to the development of telerehabilitation (TR) systems, which have been designed to take rehabilitation beyond hospitals and care centers. In this article, we propose which features should be addressed in the development of TR systems, that is, they should consider adaptive, multisensorial, physiological and social aspects. For this aim, the research project Vi-SMARt is being conducted for evaluating whether and how different technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), multi-sensorial feedback, or telemonitoring, may be exploited for the development of the next generation of TR systems. Beyond traditional aural and visual feedback, the exploitation of haptic sense by using devices such as haptic gloves or wristbands, can provide patients with additional guidance in the rehabilitation process. For telemonitoring, Electroencephalography (EEG) devices show signs of being a promising approach, not only to monitor patients’ emotions, but also to obtain neuro-feedback useful for controlling his/her interaction with the system and thus to provide a better rehabilitation experience.

Psychophysics of wearable haptic/tactile perception in a multisensory context

“…Wearability could significantly increase the usage of haptics in our everyday life [44,45] . In the following paragraphs, we In previous studies, the haptic stimulation and physiological feedback system (HSPFS) has been prototyped to deliver the appropriate haptic cueing information, as well as to monitor the physiological signals [46,47] , and hence to improve the human performance in various applications such as (tele) rehabilitation [48,49] , industrial haptic design [50,51] and wearable sensing on psychophysiological states [52][53][54] . In one of the present studies, we built a haptic stimulation and digital signal to the microcontroller through SPI (i. e., Serial Peripheral Interface).…”

Fuzzy‐description logic for supporting the rehabilitation of the elderly

“…Besides, they allow for great flexibility because patients can specify their preferences and schedules. According to Navarro et al (), demand for this type of systems is growing (the ever‐increasing costs of looking after an ageing population, many of whom suffer chronic diseases), and this fact will cause the development of a more economically viable home‐based treatment program without the presence of an expert, that is, take rehabilitation beyond hospitals and care centres.…”

Self-Regulation in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders “SR-MRehab: Un Colegio Emocionante”: A Protocol Study

“…The use of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR) and gesture recognition, reveals itself as a promising means in rehabilitation programs, in general [18], and occupational therapy, in particular [19], not only for the attractiveness and motivation that it produces in the participants, but also for all the resources that allow therapists to use such technologies, facilitating the registration of each session and the adjustment of the personalized feedback that can be offered [20]. Furthermore, virtual reality allows simulating scenarios of daily life, in such a way that we can configure them as a laboratory to develop the necessary skills in a progressive way for the most adaptive behaviors possible [21][22][23][24].…”