The Instructional Thematic Game for Children with Mild Mental Retardation: For Enhancement of Left-Right Recognition Skill

Children with mild mental retardation had several difficulties with interaction, remembering information, problem-solving, physic-motoric, learning problem, etc. Therefore, we proposed a novel framework to increase their learning skill using instructional thematic game rehabilitation framework based on Kinect sensor as the solution. Basically, the framework had three components. First, intellectual functions, which implied to the competencies reached through the game by the student. Second, instructional thematic game model, which was the concept to learn everything from the real single topic of the subject by associating to the abstract objects. Three, computer sensor device, which was the equipment as the bridge between the children and the program application. This research covered enhancement of right and left-hand recognition. We adopted Single Subject Research to evaluate the effectiveness of the system and to explore each of the individual’s progress. This process was divided into 2 steps. Namely, baseline stage and treatment stage. Apparently, from our finding, such framework gave the student an enhanced learning skill covering left-right recognition skill, decreasing the level of disturbance, and improving the level of learning independence

Novel Virtual Environment for Alternative Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a severe condition usually caused by decreased brain oxygenation during pregnancy, at birth or soon after birth. Conventional treatments for cerebral palsy are often tiresome and expensive, leading patients to quit treatment. In this paper, we describe a virtual environment for patients to engage in a playful therapeutic game for neuropsychomotor rehabilitation, based on the experience of the occupational therapy program of the Nucleus for Integrated Medical Assistance (NAMI) at the University of Fortaleza, Brazil. Integration between patient and virtual environment occurs through the hand motion sensor “Leap Motion,” plus the electroencephalographic sensor “MindWave,” responsible for measuring attention levels during task execution. To evaluate the virtual environment, eight clinical experts on cerebral palsy were subjected to a questionnaire regarding the potential of the experimental virtual environment to promote cognitive and motor rehabilitation, as well as the potential of the treatment to enhance risks and/or negatively influence the patient’s development. Based on the very positive appraisal of the experts, we propose that the experimental virtual environment is a promising alternative tool for the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.Cerebral palsy is a severe condition usually caused by decreased brain oxygenation during pregnancy, at birth or soon after birth. Conventional treatments for cerebral palsy are often tiresome and expensive, leading patients to quit treatment. In this paper, we describe a virtual environment for patients to engage in a playful therapeutic game for neuropsychomotor rehabilitation, based on the experience of the occupational therapy program of the Nucleus for Integrated Medical Assistance (NAMI) at the University of Fortaleza, Brazil. Integration between patient and virtual environment occurs through the hand motion sensor “Leap Motion,” plus the electroencephalographic sensor “MindWave,” responsible for measuring attention levels during task execution. To evaluate the virtual environment, eight clinical experts on cerebral palsy were subjected to a questionnaire regarding the potential of the experimental virtual environment to promote cognitive and motor rehabilitation, as well as the potential of the treatment to enhance risks and/or negatively influence the patient’s development. Based on the very positive appraisal of the experts, we propose that the experimental virtual environment is a promising alternative tool for the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy

Computer-based cognitive rehabilitation: the CoRe system

This work aims at providing a tool for supporting cognitive rehabilitation. This is a wide field, that includes a variety of diseases and related clinical pictures; for this reason the need arises to have a tool available that overcomes the difficulties entailed by what currently is the most common approach, that is, the so-called pen and paper rehabilitation. Methods: We first organized a big number of stimuli in an ontology that represents concepts, attributes and a set of relationships among concepts. Stimuli may be words, sounds, 2D and 3D images. Then, we developed an engine that automatically generates exercises by exploiting that ontology. The design of exercises has been carried on in synergy with neuropsychologists and speech therapists. Solutions have been devised aimed at personalizing the exercises according to both patients’ preferences and performance. Results: Exercises addressed to rehabilitation of executive functions and aphasia-related diseases have been implemented. The system has been tested on both healthy volunteers (n 1/4 38) and patients (n 1/4 9), obtaining a favourable rating and suggestions for improvements. Conclusions: We created a tool able to automate the execution of cognitive rehabilitation tasks. We hope the variety and personalization of exercises will allow to increase compliance, particularly from elderly people, usually neither familiar with technology nor particularly willing to rely on it. The next step involves the creation of a telerehabilitation tool, to allow therapy sessions to be undergone from home, thus guaranteeing continuity of care and advantages in terms of time and costs for the patients and the National Healthcare System (NHS).Postprint (published version

Examining the Performance of Older and Younger Adults When Interacting with a Mobile Solution Supporting Levels of Dexterity

The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate a mobile game to support the needs of adults aiming to strengthen their perceptual and dexterity skills. The game itself is an advanced version of a Whack-A-Mole style game, in which the user is required to select visual targets, as quickly and accurately as possible. In this version of the game, the user is able to modify the speed, target size, and availability of distracters. In this paper, the performance between older and younger users has been compared. Older adults had spent more time and missed more compared to the youth adults, highlighting the challenges with manual dexterity faced by older adults. Therefore, different ways were examined in which features of the game can be designed to better meet the needs of older adults. The paper has significant implications for elderly patients, physicians, technology designers and service providers

Žestipõhine arvuti kontrollimine kasutades Kinect sensorit

The main goal of the bachelor’s thesis was to develop an application that allows users to interact with a computer without using any intermediate devices that require physical contact. The resulting interface makes it possible to use the functionalities of a Windows desktop relying only on gestures, provided the computer meets the requirements of using a Kinect sensor and is equipped with one. Because the library used to track fingers is still in development, the functionalities are limited at this point. The possibilities for future development in human-computer interaction using vision based hand recognition are endless and the interaction will become more natural and effortless. As the equipment used to recognize hand poses is becoming more affordable and available, the possibility that mechanical devices which need physical contact will become obsolete becomes progressively more of a reality

A Virtual Village Network Architecture for improving the elderly people quality of life

Elder people often feel pushed to the margins by the generational shift and suffer from loss of identity and hence they lose motivation, recognition and self-esteem: they are often considered to be no longer capable of performing any service. This paper proposes an ICT network architecture oriented to improve the quality of life of elderly people and their caregivers focused on the user need satisfaction and reducing negative feelings like insecurity, vulnerability, loneliness and depression. This Virtual Village Network architecture is organized on 3 levels: 1. the Virtual Service Centre (VSC) that, through a proper home interface, carries out the support, the monitoring, the prevention and the social facilitation; 2. the Intelligent Domotic Health Networks (DHN) a domotic modular network with high local evaluation ability through which the VSC can monitor the home and/or the user’s state of wellness and of health ; 3. the Dynamical Village Network (DVN) that is an ICT network of users. The idea is to build an ICT network of “virtual social neighbours” facilitating user relationships, able to have positive influences on the interactive abilities and self-image of the elderly, and to prevent or overcome solitude, isolation and their negative effects on the elderly person’s overall quality of life and health. The whole architecture is pervaded by strict attention paid to security and privacy

Usability assessment of facial tracking for use in clinical outcomes

There is an ever-growing body of facial tracking assessment applications available within the health and wellness sector. One of the most prominent areas is the use of 3D cameras and processing technologies in the development of rehabilitation interventions and in the measurement of health outcomes. Recent advancements in facial tracking applications within mobile platforms and cloud computing analytics suggests that new clinical assessment and human computer assessment technologies have significant future potential for pervasive in-clinic and field-based health assessment solutions. This paper reviews the technical capabilities of three facial tracking platforms with a focus on the common issues relating to clinical measurement considerations required for patient-facing systems. Key factors are assessed in relation to 3D camera platforms, mobile applications and cloud computing applications including camera position, lighting and shadows, eye detection and common obstructions or features that affect tracking. Published examples of fcial tracking clinical and health wellness applications are presented in relation to human computer interaction interfaces. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential for future applications being developed relating to each of these technologies for clinic-based applications

Using Kinect to classify Parkinson’s disease stages related to severity of gait impairment

Published: 10 December 2018Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease associated with motor problems such as gait impairment. Different systems based on 3D cameras, accelerometers or gyroscopes have been used in related works in order to study gait disturbances in PD. Kinect Ⓡ has also been used to build these kinds of systems, but contradictory results have been reported: some works conclude that Kinect does not provide an accurate method of measuring gait kinematics variables, but others, on the contrary, report good accuracy results.This research work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant FEDER/TIN2016-78011-C4-2-R). The funding bodies had no role in the design or conclusions of this study

Kinect V2 Performance Assessment in Daily-Life Gestures: Cohort Study on Healthy Subjects for a Reference Database for Automated Instrumental Evaluations on Neurological Patients

Background. The increase of sanitary costs related to poststroke rehabilitation requires new sustainable and cost-effective strategies for promoting autonomous and dehospitalized motor training. In the Riprendo@Home and Future Home for Future Communities research projects, the promising approach of introducing low-cost technologies that promote home rehabilitation is exploited. In order to provide reliable evaluation of patients, a reference database of healthy people’s performances is required and should consider variability related to healthy people performances. Methods. 78 healthy subjects performed several repetitions of daily-life gestures, the reaching movement (RM) and hand-to-mouth (HtMM) movement with both the dominant and nondominant upper limbs. Movements were recorded with a Kinect V2. A synthetic biomechanical protocol based on kinematical, dynamical, and motor control parameters was used to assess motor performance of the healthy people. The investigation was conducted by clustering participants depending on their limb dominancy (right/left), gender (male/female), and age (young/middle/senior) as sources of variability. Results. Results showed that limb dominancy has minor relevance in affecting RM and HtMM; gender has relevance in affecting the HtMM; age has major effect in affecting RM and HtMM. Conclusions. An investigation of healthy subjects’ upper limb performances during daily-life gestures was performed with the Kinect V2 sensor. Findings will be the basis for a database of normative data for neurological patients’ motor evaluation