Magic Mirror on the Wall: Reflecting the Realities of Lower Limb Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality

Miner, Nathan; Myers, Caleb; Shirodkar, Viraj; Wang, Zinan; Zhang, Qiqing; Harteveld, Casper

doi:10.1109/ismar-adjunct57072.2022.00120

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

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“…Additional factors to consider in integrating VR into traditional PT practice include accessibility and ease of learning of VR equipment, as well as what supplementary technology is needed to provide both patients and therapists with the usual data, statistics, feedback, and motion tracking that would be a part of regular in-person PT visits. Prototypes researching and addressing these factors are already in development, including gamified applications for lower limb rehabilitation protocols [18], and multi-user VR systems that promote social interaction and collaboration [19]. Testing has also been done on VR systems providing automated motor tracking specific to occupational therapy's fine-tuned hand exercise needs [20], and recreations in VR of sporting environments for use in training and rehabilitating athletes [21].…”

Section: Existing Use Of Virtual Reality For Physical Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Building simulacra: gamified physical therapy for VR

Chiu

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Physical therapy has lagged behind other fields in healthcare in the adoption and integration of emerging technologies and new media tools in clinical practice. However, the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise of telehealth and virtual medicine, and increased accessibility to virtual reality (VR) headsets like the Meta Quest have created an opportunity to revitalize the field and kickstart progressive thinking for rehabilitation. Games like Supernatural and businesses such as XRHealth are actively combining VR technology with traditional rehabilitation protocols in gamified designs that are both fun for users to engage with, and more or less supported by rehabilitation sciences. Adopting participatory design as its method, this study gives a platform to domain experts in the field of physical therapy to envision the future of physical therapy and supply ideas and suggestions for VR rehabilitation applications. We first examine problems in the physical therapy field, including both clinician burnout and barriers of access for patients, then engage physical therapists in discussions about these issues and potential ways VR technology can provide solutions. Some of the design elements proposed by the therapists are integrated into a design prototype named Simulacra, which serves as a possible blueprint for future game design and development. The ultimate aim here is to spark more progressive conversation about emerging technologies in the field of rehabilitation, and make contributions to the growing list of effective design principles for physical therapy in VR. Results indicate a strong curiosity towards VR and a desire from physical therapists to see more technology integrated into their work and improve the healthcare they are able to provide. The interdisciplinary line of questioning used in this study was welcomed with open arms by the domain experts, and future work can take the conclusions here and apply them in functional prototypes to be tested with both physicians and patients.

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Section: Existing Use Of Virtual Reality For Physical Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Building simulacra: gamified physical therapy for VR

Chiu

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From Novelty to Clinical Practice: Exploring VR Exergames with Physical Therapists

Chiu,

Tochilnikova,

Harteveld

2024

Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact.

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The COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of telehealth and virtual medicine, and the increased accessibility of commercial VR headsets have created opportunities to revitalize the physical therapy field and introduce more innovative tools to complement traditional practice. Researchers are actively exploring the intersection of VR, exergames, and gamified exercise to create new products that can improve both provider efficiency and patient care. This study builds on that momentum by delving into the perspectives of practitioners. We interviewed eight physical therapists after letting them experience a state-of-the-art VR exercise product (i.e., Supernatural VR ). Participants loved the game and were most optimistic about the mental benefits of using VR exergames alongside traditional PT, but cautioned the lack of feedback and expert guidance that could lead to misuse and further injury. Regarding the future integration of VR and PT, participants were cautiously optimistic and offered design feedback and recommendations, with warnings regarding the potential barriers to innovating clinical practice.

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Magic Mirror on the Wall: Reflecting the Realities of Lower Limb Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality

Cited by 2 publications

References 34 publications

Building simulacra: gamified physical therapy for VR

Building simulacra: gamified physical therapy for VR

From Novelty to Clinical Practice: Exploring VR Exergames with Physical Therapists

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