Stroke Rehabilitation through Proxy Agency and Embodiment in Mixed Reality

The inclusion of VR, AR, MR and other technological approaches in the rehabilitation process of patients with chronic conditions has been significant and the role of gamification has proven to be instrumental in these cases. One of the leading causes of death and disability among adults across the globe is stroke. While only 10% recover completely following a stroke, 25% recover with minor impairments and 40% recover with moderate to severe impairments. Therefore, we aim to take advantage of the success of gamification and create a dance exergame application using an MR approach to aid in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. We will do this by animating the dance motions of an embodied virtual avatar and allowing the users to control this avatar using a variety of devices such as VR headsets and wearable sensors. Through this exergame application, our objective is to preserve and improve our target users' cognitive and motor functions as well as make them feel like they have control over their own body and their environment despite being confined in restricted spaces and having mobility issues. As such, we believe that this project will be beneficial for our intended users, as they will be able to see the results of their motions and improvements in their mobility functions over time.