Augmented reality could give stroke survivors' rehabilitation a motivational boost

So you are relying on the stroke survivor to do everything, the doctor has absolutely nothing to do with survivor rehab? Has your doctor told you s/he is doing nothing and knows nothing about your 100% recovery?  Throw that in your doctors' face. Where is the needed motivational boost to get your doctor to solve the problems in stroke?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104396539/augmented-reality-could-give-stroke-survivors-rehabilitation-a-motivational-boost

An augmented-reality, hand-held game could help motivate stroke patients through their rehabilitation.

Set in the New Zealand rainforest, a little kiwi named Fizzy needs to be thrown blueberries to eat. But the only way to feed the ground-dwelling bird is to exercise. 

NZ Fauna AR is the creation of Victoria University masters of design and innovation student Regan Petrie, 23, who teamed up with the Stroke Foundation to develop the technology.

He said Fizzy could be a breakthrough for stroke rehabilitation.

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"There isn't that much out there at the moment. It can be played anywhere, it's not bound to a location.

"Some of the games we've already seen designed for stroke rehabilitation ... they were always bound to a specific spot like a TV."

Petrie said there was a lot of potential for the game's future to develop and incorporate differing levels of rehabilitation needs. It could go on to incorporate lunges and walking exercises.

It works in a similar way to Pokemon Go, where a device picks up on your surroundings. But this game is a little different. Set in the New Zealand rainforest,  digital trees and a small brown kiwi appear in the space.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF

Regan Petrie created Fizzy the kiwi to help with stroke survivors' rehabilitation.

Fizzy is a hungry bird who emerges from the trees to eat a blueberry every time a patient sits to pick up the snack and stands to throw the treat to the bird.

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As he eats more he becomes more active and the exercise becomes a little harder – of a higher frequency and involving twisting motions – to simulate rehabilitation training.

In its last stages of development Petrie paid a visit to Auckland stroke patients who tested out the game. The response was overwhelmingly positive, he said.

A woman who usually found a sit-to-stand exercise really difficult was so focused on winning the game she forgot about the pain in her knees that usually inhibited her training.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF

NZ Fauna AR incorporates rehabilitation training into the game and is designed to keep patients interested in their recovery.

"It was so cool to see her so engaged in the game. Working with such a fragile kind of audience allowed us to really hone-in on the design and create something that was more meaningful.

"People really appreciated that we were making stuff like this for them ... trying to make rehabilitation easier."

Stroke Foundation CEO Mark Vivian said it could aid in the recovery of stroke survivors.

While there were no plans to roll-out the game at the moment the game could be a look at the future recovery programmes for patients, he said.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF

Regan Petrie is developing an augmented reality stroke game to help rehabilitate stroke survivors.

 - Stuff