Designing motivating interactive balance and walking training for stroke survivors

Abstract

In the ActivAbles and STARR projects we are developing interactive training tools for stroke survivors. Our initial user studies pointed to balance being a key ability, therefore one of the developed tools is an interactive balance pad. Equipment exists for persons with good balance (eg. Wii), but most consumer games and exercises are less suited for many stroke survivors. The development process has been done in close collaboration with stroke survivors, and we have currently a prototype system that has been tested by 10 stroke survivors for a longer period in the home during a feasibility study. The system includes an interactive balance foam pad, feedback lamps and a step counting game app which all connect to a central server. The feedback is designed to be inclusive - designs are multimodal (visual and auditory), and the setup is flexible and can easily be adapted. In this paper we report and discuss the design of the system, pilot test results and the results from a feasibility study in the home.