Design of an action interface with networking ability for rehabilitation

Abstract

In the field of rehabilitation training programs and/or equipment one of the major aspects to consider is how to provide the motivation necessary for the patient or user to persevere with a given program for the time required to see the necessary results. One effective way is to introduce sporting or competitive aspects to the program. This paper presents an "action interface" operated in an augmented environment. The game chosen is that of table tennis. The game is operated over a network thus facilitating connection to any other person with the appropriate setup. It is proposed that this system be used for physiological examinations such as testing a patient's coordination as well as for rehabilitation purposes.