Dance2Rehab3D: A 3D Virtual Rehabilitation Game

Abstract

Keeping patients into long term therapy seem to be as beneficial as the therapy itself. The use of computers to achieve engagement and motivation has been sought as a medium that not only give entertainment but real therapy benefits. The use of some interaction devices (such as mouse) however is a limiting feature to some patients with motor disabilities. Existing camera-based games do not reason with the whole spectrum of movements required by therapy. Recent development and popularization of depth cameras made it possible to develop interfaces that can explore users' 3D movements with no device to hold. This paper presents a game-like virtual environment where controllable situations are generated and users limitations are considered in order to foster movements on an interesting and relaxed set of activities. The development has shown that a close collaboration between physiotherapists and computer scientists are mandatory in order to achieve a useful application.