Augmented Reality (AR) Hand Trainer for Stroke

The goal of this project is to expand access to motor rehabilitation across a diverse group of individuals with mild/moderate upper-limb impairment through a portable low-cost augmented reality (AR) headset that guides hand grasp and dexterous movements in activities of daily living, using no body-worn devices. This product provides rehabilitation therapists and individuals with upper limb motor disability an effective tool for retraining hand and upper limb function in the clinic or home. Building on Phase I, Phase II development includes a significant effort to increase the accessibility of the technology by leveraging commercially available AR or virtual reality (VR) headsets that are affordably priced, thereby breaking socioeconomic barriers to healthcare for traditionally underrepresented populations. Project objectives are: (1) to expand the exercise modalities to present virtual targets (holograms) superimposed in the user’s field-of-view on real-world targets using a low-cost AR headset; (2) develop a clinician dashboard to enable a therapist to configure the device to the patients capabilities and track performance outcomes; and (3) demonstrate usability, acceptance, performance compliance, safety, and perceived value in a clinical population of post-acute stroke survivors. Project outcomes include: (1) a more affordable system; (2) clinical-grade measures of upper limb range-of-motion and timing; (2) real-time operability; (3) high completion rate of tasks; and (4) positive usability and acceptance amongst stroke survivors through questionnaires, stakeholder interviews, and focus group discussions to inform commercialization.