Movevree: Home Virtual Reality Rehabilitation for Arm and Hand Functionality
In the field of rehabilitation, there is a growing need for accessible, safe, and intelligent solutions for at-home recovery. The MoveVRee project is designed to meet this need, focusing on individuals recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and those living with chronic pain. Using Virtual Reality Rehabilitation (VR rehabilitation), MoveVRee empowers patients to restore function and independence at home, eliminating the necessity for frequent clinic visits and reducing healthcare costs.
Addressing the Need for Accessible Virtual Rehabilitation
Driven by the demands of an aging population and an increasing need for remote care, MoveVRee seeks to make at-home rehabilitation more accessible and engaging. For many patients recovering from neurological events, the path to recovery can be long and challenging, often requiring the mental resilience of an athlete. MoveVRee addresses this by introducing VR technology that enhances motivation, consistency, and tracking of progress, offering patients visual feedback that supports their physical and psychological recovery journey.
Innovating Home Rehabilitation with VR and Sensor Technology
The MoveVRee project combines sensor-driven exercises with a motivational VR environment, allowing patients to conduct their rehabilitation independently at home. Partnering with InMotion VR, 2M Engineering, St. Maartens Clinic, and Hankamp Rehab, MoveVRee aims to deliver a lightweight, affordable, and user-friendly prototype. 2M Engineering has developed advanced finger-tracking sensors with a reference system similar to Vicon’s Motion Capture, enabling precise movement and force measurements using just 3-4 compact sensors. This technology bridges the gap between complex clinical setups and convenient home use without compromising measurement quality.
A Unique Approach to Rehabilitation and Personalized Care
MoveVRee is setting a new standard by combining high-precision measurement with ease of use. The Virtual Reality Rehabilitation is carefully designed to keep patients engaged and motivated, incorporating gamified elements like rewards and challenges to make rehabilitation an enjoyable and rewarding process. This approach not only boosts physical recovery but also enhances motivation, enabling patients to experience consistent progress in a comfortable, familiar environment.
The Virtual Reality Rehabilitation platform provides actionable insights by distinguishing between compensatory movements (like shoulder lifting to compensate for other limitations) and genuine functional improvements, helping therapists better understand and personalize each patient’s recovery. This critical feature brings a new level of depth to patient progress tracking, helping to ensure more effective, individualized care.
Supporting Therapists with Remote Monitoring
Key innovations of MoveVRee include a remote sensor readout that enables therapists to monitor patient progress from afar, providing clear, actionable data. To ensure compatibility across systems and align with industry standards like ISO and HL7, MoveVRee is developing uniform data protocols for seamless integration and secure data management. Through the VR data gathered during home sessions, therapists receive a detailed view of movement quality, intensity, and progress, allowing them to adjust treatment plans as needed.
Chronic Pain Management Through VR Rehabilitation
For patients with chronic pain, VR therapy provides more than just physical exercises; it can help reshape how the brain perceives pain, potentially offering new avenues for pain management. By stimulating cognitive pathways, VR can impact pain perception and alleviate discomfort. Additionally, MoveVRee incorporates a vibration motor in the sensor module, delivering immediate feedback to guide users’ movements without disrupting tracking accuracy. The system also includes mirror therapy functions, which allow patients to use a virtual representation of their hands for exercises, eliminating the need for large, cumbersome 3D controllers.
Empowering Independent Recovery at Home
MoveVRee’s ultimate goal is to support patients in achieving a faster, more effective recovery in the comfort of their own homes, with some seeing up to a 20% improvement in recovery time. By enhancing independence and flexibility, MoveVRee not only reduces travel time for patients but also provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional clinical equipment. Additionally, by creating local jobs and fostering economic growth, MoveVRee contributes to the regional health innovation ecosystem, making it a key player in accessible health solutions.
Our Partners in Innovation
This project is a collaborative effort among specialized partners:
- InMotion VR: Expertise in VR applications for healthcare.
- 2M Engineering: Sensor technology and data analysis specialist.
- Sint Maartenskliniek: Leading clinical expertise in arm and hand rehabilitation.
- Hankamp Rehab: Skilled in rehabilitation equipment manufacturing, contributing to the development of the hand-grip module.
MoveVRee is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Stimulus Program Management, driving innovation and economic growth in the southern Netherlands.
Want to Learn More?
To discover how MoveVRee could support your organization and patients, please get in touch.
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