Development of a Serious Game for Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Amputees

The development of virtual environments as support tools in rehabilitation processes has proved to be valid and important for the users, providing a special and fun way to execute the procedures. The more the user feels immersed and motivated in the virtual environment, the less he or she is likely to give up the rehabilitation process. There is also a better chance of getting good levels of use. The application of serious gaming features in virtual environment makes it favorable to create a system that allows the user to evolve in their rehabilitation process, as they enjoy the tasks and challenges proposed. However, the development of such a system requires good decisions concerning the interaction devices, the 3D modeling of the environment and the definition of the tasks and the challenges of the game. In this context, this work proposes the development of a virtual training environment for amputees to minimize their time to adapt to a real prosthesis, using a tether with different sensor to interact with the virtual environment. The training protocols were provided by health-care professionals and the interaction technology was developed under their supervision, to ensure high levels of mobility and comfort for the user.