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Serious Games in Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation Therapy for Neurological Patients

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Interfacing Humans and Robots for Gait Assistance and Rehabilitation

Abstract

Robot-assisted rehabilitation has been shown to effectively improve the sequelae and restore function for neurological patients. However, repetitive exercise in long-term therapy may cause a lack of interest and demotivation decreasing the therapy success. Serious games in the rehabilitation field have emerged as a promising approach by including an entertainment component during cognitive and motor skill learning. These interactive strategies improve the user–device interaction generating an active commitment during the therapy and contributing to the neuroplasticity induction. Well-designed game mechanics and audiovisual feedback strategies are relevant to provide a pleasant experience and augment patient engagement and adherence. In this sense, this chapter defines serious games and describes the design principles for their implementation in assistance therapy. Besides, it provides evidence about in-game strategies in lower-limb rehabilitation and introduces a serious game prototype for ankle rehabilitation after stroke with a variable stiffness exoskeleton.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Engineering, Department of the Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito, Bogotá D.C., Colombia

    Angie Pino, Marcela Múnera & Carlos A. Cifuentes

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  1. Angie Pino
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  2. Marcela Múnera
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  3. Carlos A. Cifuentes
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Correspondence to Carlos A. Cifuentes .

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Pino, A., Múnera, M., Cifuentes, C.A. (2022). Serious Games in Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation Therapy for Neurological Patients. In: Interfacing Humans and Robots for Gait Assistance and Rehabilitation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79630-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79630-3_12

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-79630-3

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