Shelbie Harris
Staff Writer
Researchers at Idaho State University are working to develop a device that will utilize virtual reality technology to assist with arm rehabilitation for people who have suffered from strokes or amputation.
Virtual reality devices have been a familiar facet of the consumer market since the 1990s including Nintendo’s Virtual Boy or the Google Glass device of today’s 21st century economy.
Nonetheless, augmented reality devices are quickly finding their way into other markets.
“This virtual reality system would allow patients to see a virtual image of a moving arm,” said Physical Therapy Director and Associate Dean Nancy Devine.
“Research has established that observation of realistic movement actually improves relearning how to move. This device will use the remaining muscular systems after an amputation or stroke to read EMG signals to activate and control the robotic arm,” Devine continued.
Devine, Mechanical Engineering Professor Marco Schoen, and ISU Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Alba Perez Gracia received a grant to work in collaboration with bio-medical, rehabilitation and robotics researchers from Texas A&M and California State Fullerton Universities to develop an augmented reality device to aid upper arm rehabilitation.
Perez Gracia said that because most of the researchers have been working together for quite some time there is an established understanding of fellow collaborators particular fields of interest.
However at the beginning, understanding specific names for muscles or bones provided for a steep learning curve.
The focus for ISU researchers will be developing a robotic arm prototype and the necessary training protocols necessary to operate the device.
Developing the image and the device used to view the image will be the main focus for the first year of development, Devine said. The second year will focus on soliciting participants who have had a stroke and the third year of the three-year conceptual idea will implement patients dealing with an upper arm extremity amputation.
“The key component will be being able to capture the indignation of the patient from body signals and then being able to convert that to a virtual 3-D image of a hand or an arm,” Perez Gracia said.
“That, combined with therapy protocols and working with patients will be the next step,” she added.
Collectively, the researchers hope to create a device and training structure that can be used as a uniform example for future developments into augmented reality systems.
If the fundamental research is successful, Perez Gracia said the long-term benefit for anyone who has suffered a stroke or an amputation would be a much quicker recovery.
“In the long term, if this device really works as a good mapping tool it may be used in other augmented reality devices,” Perez Gracia said.
“Maybe in future Google glasses,” she added.
In the short term, simply learning the process of having a realistic image being included in virtual realities with specific movements such as opening and closing, or pointing will be significant improvements to the technology.
Successful research could assist in identifying individuals that would benefit from a smart prosthetic device, or a prosthetic device at all as Devine said most of the smart or traditional prosthetics that are purchased never end up being used.
Research began in September of 2013 after securing a grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) General and Age Related Disabilities Engineering (GARDE) program which supports essential engineering research aimed to develop new devices and software for persons with disabilities.
Each institution will be provided individual budgets associated with the grant and ISU will be receiving about $152,000 for its portion of the grant.
