VR Neck Rehabilitation System with Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients undergoing physical therapy for neck and shoulder rehabilitation lack real-time guidance and feedback for accurate performance of exercises, leading to potential worsening of conditions and increased medical costs due to lack of direct supervision and bio-feedback.
Innovation Solution
A virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) system that provides a fully immersive environment with 3D fixed and moveable objects, using sensors to measure and guide neck and shoulder motions, offering real-time feedback and bio-feedback through directional arrows and shape alignment, enabling accurate measurement and quantification of rehabilitation progress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If patients perform rehabilitation exercises without direct supervision and real-time feedback, then medical costs and time resources are reduced, but exercise performance accuracy deteriorates leading to potential worsening of conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback through a virtual environment that provides directional arrows indicating correct motion directions and shape alignment indicators showing proper exercise form. Sensors continuously monitor patient motion and compare it against therapeutic guidelines, providing immediate corrective feedback without requiring direct clinician supervision.
Solution Approach 2:
A virtual reality intermediary system acts as a mediator between the patient and the rehabilitation process. The virtual environment, controlled by a computing node, serves as an automated supervisor that guides exercise performance through visual cues and real-time motion analysis, replacing the need for continuous direct human supervision.
2Manufacturing precision
If direct clinician supervision is provided for exercise performance, then exercise accuracy is improved, but medical costs and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables patients to self-monitor and self-correct their exercise performance through the virtual environment feedback mechanisms. Patients can independently assess their own motion accuracy through shape alignment indicators and directional guidance, reducing reliance on expensive clinician resources while maintaining exercise precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of direct human supervision with an automated sensor-based monitoring and virtual feedback system. Sensors, processing algorithms, and virtual display elements substitute for clinician observation and guidance, providing continuous accurate feedback at lower resource cost.
3Manufacturing precision
If real-time feedback systems are implemented, then exercise accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multi-functional sensors that simultaneously track position, orientation, and motion dynamics. The virtual environment serves multiple purposes: providing directional guidance, displaying shape alignment feedback, and monitoring exercise progress. This consolidation of functions reduces the need for separate specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of anatomical structures (neck and shoulder segments) in the virtual environment to represent actual body positions. These virtual representations allow for simplified visual feedback through shape alignment comparisons without requiring complex physical measurement apparatus.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual/augmented reality-based system for guiding patients through rehabilitation exercises and providing real time feedback is disclosed. In various embodiments the system, methods, and computer program products relate to guiding and measuring neck and shoulder motion, specifically protraction and retraction motions. A virtual reality environment includes a fixed object having a guidance feature and a moveable object having a complementary shape to the guidance features. Whether the fixed object is in a complimentary orientation to the movable object is determined. When the fixed object is in a complimentary orientation with the movable shape, an indication is presented to the user to perform a motion. A plurality of sensors determines a plurality of measurements relating to the motion of the user. Whether the fixed object is in a complementary orientation with the movable object is determined based on the plurality of measurements.