Picture of the miniaturized heaters with various lithium mould shapes. (Photo: PNAS)
“Combined with smartphone technology, everyone would have a portable system that can track, monitor and diagnose infections. This is critical for preventing the spread of diseases.”
Virtual reality could help physiotherapy patients complete their exercises at home successfully thanks to researchers at WMG, University of Warwick, who managed to combine VR technology with 3D motion capture.
- Current Physiotherapy techniques require patients to complete exercises at home, which doesn’t include much guidance
- Virtual reality (VR) combined with 3D Motion capture could allow movements to be translated onto an avatar the patient can follow, thanks to researchers at WMG, University of Warwick
- Consumer VR technologies can be used for both providing guidance to physiotherapy exercises, but also to make the exercises more interesting and encourage people to complete the course they need
Currently prescribed physiotherapy often requires patients to complete regular exercises at home. Outside of the clinic, patients rarely receive any guidance other than a leaflet of sketches or static photographs to instruct them how to complete their exercises. This leads to poor adherence, with patients becoming anxious about not getting the exercise right, or simply getting bored by the repetitiveness of the movements.
The advent of consumer virtual reality technology combined with 3D motion capture allows real movements to be accurately translated onto an avatar that can be viewed in a virtual environment. Researchers at the Institute of Digital Healthcare, WMG, University of Warwick are investigating whether this technology can be used to provide guidance to physiotherapy patients, by providing a virtual physiotherapist in the home to demonstrate the prescribed exercises.
Their paper, ‘Timing and correction of stepping movements with a virtual reality avatar’ published today the 28th of February, in the Journal PLOS ONE, has focused on whether people are able to accurately follow the movements of a virtual avatar.
Researchers had to investigate whether people were able to accurately coordinate and follow the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment. They asked participants to step in time with an avatar viewed through a VR headset.
Unknown to the participants, the researchers subtly slowed down or sped up one of the avatar’s steps, such that the participants would have to correct their own stepping movement to stay in time. The effect this correction had on their step timing and synchronisation with the avatar was measured.
Lead author, Omar Khan from WMG, University of Warwick commented:
“If participants were observed to correct their own stepping to stay in time with the avatar, we knew they were able to accurately follow the movements they were observing.
“We found that participants struggled to keep in time if only visual information was present. However, when we added realistic footstep sounds in addition to the visual information, the more realistic multisensory information allowed participants to accurately follow the avatar.”
Dr Mark Elliott, Principal investigator on the project at WMG, University of Warwick added:
“There is huge potential for consumer VR technologies to be used for both providing guidance to physiotherapy exercises, but also to make the exercises more interesting. This study has focused on the crucial question of how well people can follow a virtual guide.”
Prof. Theo Arvanitis, co-author and Director of the Institute of Digital Healthcare, said:
“Our work and digitally-enabled technological solution can underpin transformative health innovations to impact the field of physiotherapy, and have a direct benefit to patients’ rehabilitation.
“We now plan to investigate other types of movements working closely in partnership with physiotherapists, to establish the areas of physiotherapy that will benefit most from this technology.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Virtual reality
- Virtual reality could make seeing your favorite band less expensive, if these artists have their way
Heavy-metal band Avenged Sevenfold and rapper T-Pain are among a growing number of artists who are using virtual reality to connect with their fans at a ...
- The Rise of Virtual Reality Slots: What Gamers Can Expect in the Next Decade
Future VR slots will leverage more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. Integrating hand tracking and gesture recognition technology will allow players to interact with the virtual slot machine ...
- Alien: Rogue Incursion - A New Virtual Reality Horror Adventure Announced
Marking the celebration of Alien Day, publisher 20th Century Games, in collaboration with developer Survios, has unveiled their latest project, Alien: Rogue Incursion. This new entry in the storied ...
- 4 Tips for Navigating Virtual Reality Safely
Virtual reality (VR) has taken major leaps forward in recent years. With the release of the Apple Vision Pro in early 2024, people are starting to realize how truly powerful this technology is and how ...
- Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitals
At Advocate Children’s Hospitals in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, virtual reality systems are helping young patients deal with the discomfort of invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Virtual reality
[google_news title=”” keyword=”virtual reality” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Virtual reality physiotherapy
- Veterans: Virtual reality is veteran’s path to recovery
It was my first time using virtual reality. There was a dichotomy in my brain between ‘I am perfectly fine and I am freaking out’ and ‘I am perfectly fine’ ...
- Jon Gosselin regrets not starting Ozempic ‘sooner’ after dropping 32 pounds in 2 months
It’s really nice because it helped me stop drinking and it helped me get my appetite under control with less eating,” the “Jon & Kate Plus 8” alum raved to Page ...
- Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitals
At Advocate Children’s Hospitals in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, virtual reality systems are helping young patients deal with the discomfort of invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.
- Neurodivergence In The 21st Century: How Technology Supports Children's Potential
Well-established and breakthrough treatments such as neurofeedback, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), augmented and virtual reality therapy and the digitization and gamification of cognitive ...
- Stroke Recovery: A Timeline
How much progress a person can make and the timeline for their recovery depend on the type and location of the stroke and the patient’s age and overall health, says Richard Harvey, M.D., clinical ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Virtual reality physiotherapy
[google_news title=”” keyword=”virtual reality physiotherapy” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]