An interactive therapy system for arm and hand rehabilitation

The paper presents results from a virtual reality (VR)-based system for upper limb rehabilitation. The system incorporates a range of interchangeable direction sensing devices (the Optical Linear Encoder (OLE) and the inertial measurement unit (IMU)) that can be adjusted to a large range of different arm and hand sizes, and interactive practice applications designed for motivating and seamlessly driving users to perform the functional and non-functional motor recovery tasks. We describe the kinematic models of both arm and hand, the technical details of two motion track components (the arm suit and the SmartGlove) and the design of the interactive scenarios. The system thus promises to be a valuable complement to conventional therapeutic programs offered in rehabilitation clinics.