Virtual Arm Representation and Multimodal Monitoring for the Upper Limb Robot Assisted Teletherapy

Abstract

The use of technology in rehabilitation therapies targets the sustainability of health systems and the improvement of quality of life of the user (therapists, patients and informal carers). Robot or exoskeleton assisted rehabilitation systems, which are based on neurorehabilitation principles, are tools that not only help patients move the arm with precision; they also help reduce the fatigue of the therapist during the process. One of the challenges of the virtual reality based robot assisted upper limb rehabilitation is patients’ immersion within the therapy to achieve an improved progress of the rehabilitation. This paper, presents a new virtual reality therapy that has been created using the Armeo Spring exoskeleton. A 3D representation of the arm serves as an interaction mechanism with the virtual world. This makes the user more aware of the movements that he/she is making and improves the rehabilitation outcomes. It also encourages the user motivation and engagement to the therapy. Additionally, an application for the multimodal monitoring of the patient has been developed, together with tools for the online assessment of patients. These developments allow the physician to review the therapy without being in the same place and time, optimizing the use of hospital’s human resources.