Development of Exergame-based Virtual Trainer for Physical Therapy using Kinect

Abstract

We present the development of a virtual trainer for use by physiotherapists and patients in exercise based physiotherapy programmes. It allows a therapist to tailor exercise requirements to the specific needs and challenges of individual patients. Patients can select different programmes and follow a coach avatar to perform recorded exercises based on their needs. The Microsoft Kinect has been implemented as a means to track user’s body movements. This enables immersive and natural interaction between the user and virtual tuition world. Most importantly, the recorded skeletal joint data facilitates quantitative analysis and feedback of patient’s body movements. The proof of concept has been implemented and tested by 15 volunteers. Preliminary study shows the potential of using Kinect as a low cost solution for virtual physiotherapy training at home or clinic settings.