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A virtual reality simulator can provide a safe environment to practice power wheelchair skills. We developed a virtual community center through an iterative process based on expert user feedback. A team including occupational therapists, researchers and game developers created a first version. Feedback led to a second version, which was evaluated by a larger group of clinicians and young wheelchair...
The evolution of technology generates a wide number of devices, which can be useful for different applications. Microsoft-KinectTM is one of these devices and in this study we used its features in order to project and develop solutions for postural rehabilitation. Particularly, we developed a system capable to record biomechanical data and return an audio-visual biofeedback regarding the correct/incorrect...
A research protocol will be presented to validate a new low cost virtual reality system as a rehabilitation tool for enhancing motor recovery of the upper limb in stroke survivors. To this aim, we will assess the usability of a Kinect-based rehabilitation gaming system by evaluating responses from 24 stroke patients and 8 clinicians. We will create an initial flowchart, linking the level of motor...
Low cost depth sensors could potentially allow for home-based care and rehabilitation using virtual systems. Currently, no publicly available and peer-reviewed assessment has been made on the accuracy of joint position data determined by the Microsoft KinectTM for assessment of upper extremity movements. We devised and validated clinically-based angle classifications for random arm movements in 3D-space,...
Virtual environments (VEs) that represent real spaces give people who are blind the opportunity to build a cognitive map in advance that they will be able to use when arriving at the real space. In this research study Nintendo Wii based technology was used for exploring VEs via the Wiici application. The Wiimote allows the user to interact with VEs by simulating walking and scanning the space. By...
Young adults aged 18–24 account for a disproportionate number of motor vehicle accidents, yet the neurocognitive factors that contribute to increased crash risk are not often studied in this age group. The present study examined the contributions of risk taking propensity, executive functioning, and attention to performance on a virtual reality driving task. Participants completed a driving task,...
Attention deficits are a highly prevalent result of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has a profound effect on an individual's functional abilities. However, studies that test the severely impaired inpatient population are scarce. 21 severe TBI inpatients completed 2-week intervention (either visuo-haptic environment training or standard attention training). Results indicate that patients who received...
Gait disorders and their resultant adverse effects are a major health problem. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to explore the efficacy of a 5-week VR clinical service to improve gait and mobility in subjects with a history of falls, mobility or stability dysfunction. 60 subjects received 15 sessions (3/week) of progressive intensive treadmill training while negotiating virtual obstacles...
Steering using optic flow allows adapting locomotion to the environment. Persons with brain lesions display difficulty steering and thus, gaining insight into the brain regions involved in steering may shed light on the disturbed mechanisms of visuomotor control. A joystick-based navigation task in a virtual environment was used to explore brain regions involved in steering control while exposed to...
Fractal patterns in gait are a hallmark of a healthy and adaptive locomotor system. These fractal patterns degrade with natural aging or pathology, potentially reflecting a decline in gait functionality. This experiment replicated our previous work that indicated fractal patterns in gait could be manipulated by synchronizing to fractal visual stimuli presented in virtual reality and examined factors...
Virtual Reality for walking rehabilitation is becoming increasingly common, but there are few guidelines in the literature to assist in application design. We present evidence from a series of empirical studies to demonstrate the effect of a number of factors within VR systems on walking and movement perception. Walking speed is differentially influenced by the type of walking interface, visual gain,...
The objective of this study was to use an advanced VR-based system to explore the extent to which posture control mechanisms in adults can undergo experience-dependent changes when a novel balance task is acquired and retained. Eight healthy young adults practiced a novel complex task with and without a concurrent manual task within a single training session in a virtual environment (VE). The time-course...
Adaptation of sensorimotor processes has been studied for over a century. However, rigorous experimental approaches require controlling as many variables as possible to study the phenomenon, which limits generalizability. Conversely testing adaptation in an unconstrained ecologically valid situation makes it difficult to identify what parameters affect this process. This study utilizes virtual environments...
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