YuTe Wang, PhD |Research Center for Information Technology Innovation; Tony Chou, MD; Charles Chang, MD; Yu Tsao, PhD; Ivan Tashev, PhD
Competition Sponsor: Academia Sinica
Awardee Year: 2024
Home-based rehabilitation with AR/VR devices offers convenience by minimizing travel time and expenses. However, it presents challenges: (1) Absence of real-time objective metrics to evaluate neurorehabilitation performance; (2) Solitary rehabilitation may induce loneliness, and isolation; (3) Overreliance on assistive tools may reduce motivation for consistent engagement in repetitive rehabilitation activities. Our initiative aims to construct an integrated rehabilitation ecosystem utilizing Mixed Reality Brain Computer Interface (MR-BCI), featuring: (1) A real-time AI-guided coach analyzing users’ neurophysiological and movement data; (2) A virtual rehabilitation verse fostering mutual support, mitigating feelings of isolation; (3) Collaboration with therapists to tailor game-like exercises with household elements, enhancing enjoyment and reducing monotony in rehabilitation endeavors. The MR-BCI approach could revolutionize home-based rehabilitation by providing neurofeedback performance metrics, making rehab engaging through gamification and social interaction, and motivating users with home-based elements and adaptive difficulty. This could lead to precise and improved rehab outcomes, increased regimen adherence, greater accessibility, cost savings, and potential global scalability, significantly enhancing users’ quality of life.