Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
These measures also differentiated the two groups, revealing that locomotor trajec-
tories with an immobilized knee were less repeatable, less stable over time, and less
mathematically complex than with a normal knee [
46
]. We are currently in the midst
of a longitudinal study that uses the figure-8 task to assess the functional mobility
of patients with actual ACL injuries pre- and post-surgery, with a follow-up after
rehabilitation [
50
].
This research illustrates the possibilities offered to clinicians by VR-based assess-
ment and rehabilitation. It takes advantage of perceptual manipulations that are
unique to VR and allows for dynamic measurements of changes in functional loco-
motor behavior. Such work suggests the potential future of VR-based assessment
and rehabilitation.
15.3 Conclusion
It should be clear by now, based on the numerous VR methodologies presented in
this chapter, that one of the major challenges facing VR-based assessment and reha-
bilitation is determining the type of VR installation to employ. The visual display
and head tracking devices available, as well as systems for kinematic and kinetic
measurement of movement, strongly constrain the type of locomotor behavior per-
mitted. For example, whether the user traverses the virtual environment by walking
over-ground, walking on an omni-directional or linear treadmill, or via some other
Wii or Kinect interface, and whether the treadmill is human- or motor-driven, have
important implications for mobility assessment. Over-ground walking allows for the
most natural interaction between the user and the virtual environment, implying good
validity and generalizability, but such systems are expensive and space limitations
often constrain them to a small room. Motorized or human-driven treadmill systems
allow virtual environments of almost unlimited size, but at the price of less natural
navigation (e.g., restricted turns, unnatural acceleration or deceleration) and possibly
reduced validity and generalizability. Although such sophisticated technology may
find a place in a regional hospital or research setting, simple Wii and Kinect-based
applications have the potential for greatest impact on rehabilitation in the living room.
Accordingly, researchers and clinicians must carefully consider their options when
adopting these technologies and recognize the potential limitations for VR-based
assessment and rehabilitation.
Regardless of these issues, the pursuit of VR-based assessment and rehabilitation
is likely to increase in the coming years, as the potential benefits offered by these
systems outweigh their shortcomings. It is still too early to tell whether the promise
of VR will ultimately pay off for rehabilitation science, but with almost limitless
possibilities awaiting implementation the future looks very bright.
