1. Introduction
Methodology
Results and Conclusion
Janaína Lyra 1
, Berthil Longo 1
, Nicolás Valencia 2
, Gustavo
Glasgio 3
and Teodiano Bastos 1,2,3
1 Post-Graduate Program in Biotechnology
2 Post-Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering
3 Electrical Engineering Department
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo , Vitória, Brazil
e-mail: janaina.oml@gmail.com
References
To evaluate the system in terms of applicability, usability and
functionality, the volunteers answered the System Usability Scale
(SUS), the Virtual Environment Evaluation (VEE). Their data of
adaptation time and the obtained score were used to answer the Goal
Attainment Scale (GAS).
The analysis of the values obtained in the SUS showed that the
system was positively evaluated by all users, with the lowest score
being 80%. Moreover, the T-score evaluation obtained from GAS
questionnaire, implies that the system has great potential for
application in the clinical environment, since its value was greater
than 50 in all cases. Finally, the analysis of VEE revealed that the
virtual environment and game were positively assessed by most
users.
The AT used in this study has shown to have great potential for future
usage in clinical environment, as it been evaluated positively by the
vast majority of users. Thus, we will continue working to improve the
system, aiming the development of an efficient rehabilitation tool.
[1] Bersch, R. Introdução à tecnologia assistiva. Porto Alegre: CEDI.
2008.
[2] Allen L, Richardson M, McIntyre A, Janzen S, Meyer M, Ure D,
Willems D, Teasell R. Community stroke rehabilitation teams: providing
home-based stroke rehabilitation in Ontario, Canada. The Canadian
Journal of Neurological Sciences. 2014; 41(6): 697–703. [
3] World Health Organization. Stroke, Cerebrovascular accident.
[internet].
The authors would like to thank Federal University of Espírito Santo
(UFES), CNPq e CAPES.
This work introduces an AT for rehabilitation of lower limbs of post-stroke
patients, creating a motivating environment where the user is able to
exercise safely, by doing movements usually used in rehabilitation
exercises, such as knee flexion and extension. The developed game
uses a movement sensor and a surface electromyography (sEMG)
sensor, being able to give a biofeedback in real time for the user,
showing his/her muscle activation level in the game screen. Also, the
system saves information about joint angulation and sEMG signal,
allowing an offline evaluation of movement amplitude and an estimation
of muscle activation level, respectively.
Acknowledgements
The developed AT is composed of a Virtual Environment (VE), which
is a session game where the user controls an avatar through previous
determined corporal movements, which are captured by a Kinect
sensor v2. In addition, the user is monitored by sEMG, which is used
to give a biofeedback in real time for the user. The myoelectric signals
are captured by the BrainNet BTN 36 equipment
Figure 1. Scheme showing how the AT works.
Assistive Technologies (ATs) are resources and techniques that
contribute to expand and provide functional abilities for impaired
individuals. As consequence they promote social inclusion and a better
quality of life for patients [1]. One of the main causes of severe
disabilities worldwide is stroke [2], which is a syndrome characterized for
neurological alterations, which occurs due to a failure of adequate blood
supply in the brain [3].
Figure 2. A) Kinect sensor v2 B) BrainNet BTN 36.
The VE was elaborate for the purpose of catch user attention and
keep him/her motivated during the exercise. The developed system
simulates snowboarding activities, where the snowboarder must reach
the mountain base. In order to do so, the avatar needs to jump using
ramps. During this time, the user remains seated, and as the ramps
are approaching, he/she prepare himself/herself to do knee
extension/flexion movement.
Figure 3. Volunteer using the AT and biofeedback as seen by
user.