SciTechBits – Interesting Bits of Science & Technoglogy Served For You!

Researchers have designed a virtual reality based piano, which can be used to train stroke survivor’s finger motion. The piano actively engages the patient and slowly makes them produce more degrees of motion.

Stroke is the largest cause of long term disability in America and affects about 5.7 million people. Only 5% of them are able to regain their hand & finger controls. While some stroke survivors experience hemiplegia – which is the total impairment of one side of their body, some survivors experience hemiparesis – which is weakness in one side of the body. A system designed to produce hand & finger motion, in a continuous and interactive manner and thus making the target skill level progressively higher is proved to avail better and quicker rehabilitation of the hands & fingers.

With these in mind, a group of researchers from New Jersey have designed a “Virtual Piano Trainer” to provider finger motion training for people with hemiparesis. The system comprises of a screen – which shows a first person view of an avatar playing a 64 keys keyboard, a glove fitted over both hands – which can read every fine movement produced in the hands & fingers, an arm tracking device over both the arms and a haptic feedback & exoskeletal device over the dorsum of the hand (on top of the gloves) – which is capable of producing a force on each finger to either cause resistance or motion.