Scientists at the VTC Smart Rehab Lab https://samrtrehab.vtc.vt.edu are developing breakthrough, affordable technologies, and methods to connect stroke survivors to physical therapy at home through tele-rehabilitation.
There is a growing demand for physical therapy in the U.S. since annually 795,000 people suffer strokes in the U.S (according to the CDC) resulting in lost mobility and long-term disability.
The VTC Smart Rehab Lab is a collaboration of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and the Carilion Clinic which conducts clinical tests on equipment and methods.
To do further research, VTC lab was awarded $1.1 million by the National Science Foundation (NSF) https://www.nsf.gov to continue developing the Semi- Automated Rehabilitation At Home (SARAH) project. The SARAH project will use a fused knowledge base of human and machine learning to assess stroke patient’s performance during training and daily activities at home and provide feedback to the patient along with summaries of progress to the remote therapists.
Patients sit at a table or desk before two cameras following directions displayed on the tablet. Then they perform a series of exercises using a set of 3D printed items on a mat. The system offers real time feedback to help self-assess their performance and develop active motor learning strategies.
The system also summarizes the patient’s performance so it can be quickly reviewed by a remote therapist on a daily basis. The therapist can then offer feedback on improving execution of exercise and adapt the training remotely as the patient progresses.
In addition, patients will wear waterproof kinetic sensors on their wrists like watches, along with one as a ring. The sensors will track their movements throughout the day, providing therapists remotely with data on the patient’s daily activity.
The development of the sensors and analysis algorithms is a collaborative effort with the Assistive Robotics Lab in Virginia Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Pittsburgh-based Lifeware Labs.