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Interactive Infrastructures: Physical Rehabilitation Modules for Pervasive Healthcare Technology

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Pervasive Health

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

Traditional physical rehabilitation techniques are based mainly on mechanical structures and passive materials. This has certain limitations, which can be overcome by applying interactive technologies. As a team of designers, technologists and medical researchers and practitioners, we have developed an interactive sensor floor tile system and several other modules for rehabilitation exercises, as part of an interactive infrastructure to support rehabilitation. Since 2009, the team has advanced its understanding of rehabilitation practices and problems, and designed prototypes, interventions and demonstrators in order to gain feedback on our approach. We have identified as the three critical issues affecting rehabilitation motivation, customisation, andindependence. The system that we have developed is founded on the current mechanical practices, of improvisational nature, and creative use of existing materials and techniques, expanding from this way of working by applying new interactive digital technologies and 3D instant manufacturing techniques. We have developed a number of modules for the system, and a physical programming technique which aims to blend in with current practices. Two sets of sensor floor modules are in use in hospitals and we are reporting in this chapter the first positive effects the system has on the rehabilitation of stroke patients.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Max/MSP/Jitter is an object based visual programming language for multimedia applications. In addition to the data manipulation part, it has a range of sound processing objects (MSP) and video processing capabilities (Jitter). See www.cyling74.com.

  2. 2.

    Littlebits are sensor and actuator modules that snap together with magnetic connections. The user can make various ‘circuits’ with these building blocks, a bit like Lego. See www.littlebits.cc.

  3. 3.

    More information about the trial can be found at the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12613000610730

  4. 4.

    NHMRC is the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia.

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Acknowledgments

This phase of the work was partially funded by two grants of the UTS design faculty’s Centre for Contemporary Design Practices. We are very grateful for the support of A/Prof Cathie Sherrington of the George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney, who funded the redesign of the floor tiles (using 3D printing techniques) and has adopted the two sets in clinical trials. We thank the staff of the hospitals involved for all their invaluable input and feedback on our developments. Particularly physiotherapist Karl Schurr has played a crucial role in all this work, with his deep understanding of all the issues related to patients exercises and motivation, and has driven many of the design processes presented in this chapter. The project has ethics approval nationally, site specific, and from the university.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, Interactivation Studio, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    A. J. Bongers, Victor Donker, Michelle Pickrell, Rebecca Hall & Stefan Lie

  2. Healthy Eating, Active Living Technology (HEALTHY) Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia

    Stuart Smith

  3. Department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Victor Donker

Authors
  1. A. J. Bongers
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  2. Stuart Smith
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  3. Victor Donker
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  4. Michelle Pickrell
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  5. Rebecca Hall
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  6. Stefan Lie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. J. Bongers .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Head Research Unit Human-Computer Interaction for Medicine and Health, IBM Watson Think Group, Institute for Medical Informatics, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

    Andreas Holzinger

  2. Lehrstuhl für Communication Science, Geschäftsführende Direktorin, Human–Computer Interaction Center, Institut für Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Martina Ziefle

  3. RWTH Aachen University Human–Computer Interaction Center, Aachen, Germany

    Carsten Röcker

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Bongers, A.J., Smith, S., Donker, V., Pickrell, M., Hall, R., Lie, S. (2014). Interactive Infrastructures: Physical Rehabilitation Modules for Pervasive Healthcare Technology. In: Holzinger, A., Ziefle, M., Röcker, C. (eds) Pervasive Health. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6413-5_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6413-5_10

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6412-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6413-5

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