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Session: Poster session 2 (Odd numbers)
Session starts: Friday 27 January, 10:00
Presentation starts: 10:00

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Stefano Dalla Gasperina (Delft University of Technology)
Alex van den Berg (Delft University of Technology)
David Abbink (Delft University of Technology)
Laura Marchal-Crespo (Delft University of Technology)

Abstract:
In the past decades, gait robotic devices, e.g., treadmill-based exoskeletons, have been employed to deliver more cost-effective and intensive rehabilitation training after stroke. Robots can supplement therapists during training, relieving their workload and allowing high-intensity repetitive movements. Virtual reality (VR) and serious games can be concurrently employed to enhance the patients’ motivation [1]. However, in current approaches, these technologies are merely superimposed and the VR is usually presented on a flat-screen [2]. Within this project, we aim to combine gait robotic devices with more immersive VR techniques by providing concurrent haptic and visual feedback to enhance motivation, engagement, effort, and movement variability, all aspects suggested to improve neurorehabilitation outcomes [3]. Our idea is to employ a customized gait exoskeleton to provide the haptic rendering of the interaction with the virtual environment – i.e., by simulating the interaction forces with tangible virtual objects according to their dynamic model. Simultaneously, we aim to show congruent visual information through head-mounted displays (HMDs). We will first enable our treadmill-based exoskeleton to serve as a haptic display, i.e., being able to generate external perturbations to the natural gait that can be mapped into tangible virtual objects or environments, such as walking into the water. To enhance the level of presence in the virtual environment, we will use HMDs to show intuitive realistic virtual environments that can be coherently synchronized with the interaction forces generated by the exoskeleton. Additionally, a virtual avatar of the patient will be synchronized with the gait pattern. Finally, we will evaluate the effectiveness and acceptance of the proposed approach by comparing motor performance, user experience, and motivation under four different conditions – i.e., combining (or not) haptics and IVR. Our research has great potential to impact the field of robot-assisted neurorehabilitation. We expect our results to confirm that combining haptics and immersive VR can enhance user motivation and participation during training. Further, our approach can broader the possibilities of using robotic devices in the clinic, as they could be used in patients with a large range of disability levels, and facilitate the transfer of the learned gait patterns to activities of daily living. [1] N. Wenk, K. Buetler, J. Penalver-Andres, R. Müri, and L. Marchal-Crespo, “Naturalistic visualization of reaching movements using head-mounted displays improves movement quality and proves high usability compared to conventional computer screen.” 2022. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1749644/v1. [2] N. Hamzeheinejad, D. Roth, S. Monty, J. Breuer, A. Rodenberg, and M. E. Latoschik, “The Impact of Implicit and Explicit Feedback on Performance and Experience during VR-Supported Motor Rehabilitation,” in 2021 IEEE Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), Mar. 2021, pp. 382–391. doi: 10.1109/VR50410.2021.00061. [3] Ö. Özen, K. A. Buetler, and L. Marchal-Crespo, “Promoting Motor Variability During Robotic Assistance Enhances Motor Learning of Dynamic Tasks,” Front. Neurosci., vol. 14, 2021.