Real-time diagnostic data in multi-user virtual reality post-stroke therapy

We present a novel multi-user virtual reality (VR) environment for post-stroke rehabilitation that can be used independently in the home to improve upper extremity motor function. This project represents a collaborative multidisciplinary approach to upper extremity therapy that reinvents engagement with health, social communication and well-being for stroke survivors. This work is in the pre-clinical phase of an ongoing interdisciplinary research effort at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago which involves a team of artists, engineers, researchers and occupational therapists. This work bridges art, science and healthcare research. Our project attempts to extend traditional occupational therapy and make virtual reality art accessible for all people. It inspires a playful and natural social interaction in the comfort of the home setting for stroke survivors with hemiparesis by furthering social engagement through the rehabilitation exercises. It fosters interaction and collaboration between individual users and encourages the exchange of user-generated content. At the same time, the system captures continuous kinematic data, which can be used to better tailor therapy to the individual.