Navigation of a Virtual Exercise Environment with Microsoft Kinect by People Post-Stroke or With Cerebral Palsy

Volume 2 - Issue 1

John Hoyle¹, Justin McCroskey², Lloyd Cooper³ and Alan W Eberhardt*¹

Received: March 27, 2018;   Published: April 05, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/OAJBEB.2018.02.000130

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Abstract

People with physical disabilities have less access to exercise opportunities than their able bodied peers, which contributes to the overall lack of physical activity noted today. In order to help provide engaging active options for this diverse group of people, an Advanced Virtual Exercise Environment Device was designed with adaptable components and an integrated virtual display. Voice commands were used and a custom balance sensing system was created using Velostat to allow users to make choices within a virtual environment. The voice recognition system was tested at various background noise levels and found to be highly accurate within standard conversational ranges for a non-impaired speaker. The balance system was verified for an unimpaired user both while standing and while seated in a wheelchair, though the system was much more responsive for the standing operation mode. A user study with 19 individuals with diverse physical disabilities was performed to obtain feedback on how the various parts of the device functioned for a wide cross section of disabilities. The results showed that the device was functional in all of its components. Initial indications suggested that normal use of the device could provide enough challenge for cardiovascular health maintenance. The device without the accompanying virtual interface was perceived to be generally enjoyable, not boring. Users did not dislike the experience and found it to be more engaging with the virtual interface.

Keywords: AVE²D: Advance Virtual Exercise Environment Device

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