EXERCISE AND RECREATION EQUIPMENT FOR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS

THIS RESEARCH IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECH- NOLOGIES AND DEVICES WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN EXERCISE AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR HANDICAPPED AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS. THE SPECIFIC APPROACH IS TO COMBINE THE THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF EXISTING EXERCISE EQUIPMENT WITH THE RECRECREATIONAL, ENTERTAINMENT AND MOTIVATIONAL ATTRI- BUTES OF COMPUTER VIDEO GAMES. A CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE BI- CYCLE AND ROWING MACHINE WILL BE FITTED WITH POSITION SEN- SORS AND INTERFACED TO AN INEXPENSIVE HOME COMPUTER VIA THE COMPUTER'S GAME PADDLE PORT. ANIMATED VIDEO GAMES WILL THENBE WRITTEN WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO REQUIRE A COM-BINATION OF STRATEGY, HAND/EYE COORDINATION AND SUSTAINED PHYSICAL EXERTION IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE. THE GAMES WILL BE DESIGNED WITH VARYING LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY TO MATCH ANY INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITIES. PHASE II WORK WILL INVOLVE THE DESIGN OF MORE SPECIALIZED EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, CONTROL MECHANISMS AND SOFTWARE, TAR- GETED TOWARD SPECIFIC PATIENT GROUPS WHO MAY HAVE UNIQUE MENTAL AND/OR PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS.