2015 Volume 17 Issue 1 Pages 63-72
A VR based mirror visual feedback (VR/MVF) therapy system for chronic pain was developed and has been used in a hospital. However, the system is expensive and utilizes contact-type sensor devices resulting in the possibility to provoke a pain at their usage. A therapy system that a patient can use himself/herself at home is required because of the necessity of frequent treatment for a patient and much data for the advancement of treatment method. This study develops a simple VR/MVF therapy system by considering design requirements obtained (1) from the requests of patients and medical staffs and obtained from the viewpoints of (2) human interface, (3) body motion measurement, and (4) reduction of pain. The developed system measures the motion of upper limb by Kinect and initiates the grasping motion of the artificial hand with pain side by a mouse click of the hand of intact side. A smoothing filter for the measured data of arm motion is implemented to satisfy with high response at rapid arm motion and less fluctuation of artificial arm at low and no arm motion. The applicability of the developed system is confirmed by several experiments and trial usage by a patient.
