Virtual Environments for Rehabilitation of Postural Control Dysfunction
This addresses rehabilitation for individuals with sensory deficits, such as those with vestibular dysfunction, by providing an immersive tool for balance training.
The researchers developed a VR platform with 3D sounds to improve sensory integration and visuomotor processing for postural control and fall prevention in individuals with balance problems like vestibular dysfunction, using adjustable virtual scenes to expose users to challenging situations.
We developed a novel virtual reality [VR] platform with 3-dimensional sounds to help improve sensory integration and visuomotor processing for postural control and fall prevention in individuals with balance problems related to sensory deficits, such as vestibular dysfunction (disease of the inner ear). The system has scenes that simulate scenario-based environments. We can adjust the intensity of the visual and audio stimuli in the virtual scenes by controlling the user interface (UI) settings. A VR headset (HTC Vive or Oculus Rift) delivers stereo display while providing real-time position and orientation of the participants' head. The 3D game-like scenes make participants feel immersed and gradually exposes them to situations that may induce dizziness, anxiety or imbalance in their daily-living.