Virtual Reality in Patients Rehabilitation

The photo: Krzysztof Popielski, PhD student with one of the patients testing the application.

The rehabilitation of a patient after a stroke with a hemispatial neglect, which includes lack of sensing the stricken side of the body and lack of response to any stimuli coming from that side, is a difficult and laborious process. The same applies to upper limb paresis. Usually, the activities include visual search of both parts of the body to find an object and place in in a designated spot. However, this process requires a comprehensive engagement on the part of the physiotherapist and the patients rapidly lose motivation.

A team from the Faculty of Mechatronics of Warsaw University of Technology has created three applications which - through the use of virtual reality (VR) - are to assist in traditional rehabilitation or partially substitute it. 

– The games we have prepared enable rehabilitation of patients who have suffered a stroke. Two are designed mostly for patients with hemispatial neglect and limbs paresis, whereas the third is for people with hand paresis - says Katarzyna Matys-Popielska, MEng, the person behind the idea for the project.