Augmented reality (AR) hand trainer for stroke - our goal is to develop the first augmented reality (AR) platform that meets the needs of personalized and practical rehabilitation through hand synergy…

Augmented reality (AR) hand trainer for stroke - our goal is to develop the first augmented reality (AR) platform that meets the needs of personalized and practical rehabilitation through hand synergy training to improve function for individuals with an upper-limb disability. To achieve this goal, our objectives are: 1) to develop an AR hand trainer that presents virtual targets in the form of derived end-posture synergies superimposed over a user's field-of-view of their physical hand; and 2) to demonstrate the feasibility of our AR hand trainer to improve finger range-of-motion by facilitating kinematic synergy training tailored to the individual motor abilities following a mild-moderate stroke. Our phase I outcomes include: 1) lab-grade outcome measures of range-of-motion (ROM) and timing during synergy training tasks; 2) real-time operability; 3) 95% completion rate of kinematic synergies amongst control participants; 4) improvements in task-specific ROM from baseline through individualized hand synergy training for at least 8 out of 10 stroke survivors; and 5) positive usability feedback amongst end-users through standard questionnaires that will inform commercial development. Phase II will build upon our proof-of-concept to develop a comprehensive AR hand trainer that can facilitate a broad range of hand and arm synergies for improving activities of daily living. Our commercial product will provide physical therapists, occupational therapists, and rehabilitation specialists with an upper-limb rehabilitation tool that can be individually tailored to guide functional movements that are transferrable beyond the clinic and into the home to empower stroke survivors to engage activities of daily living, age with their disability, and improve their quality of life.