Effects of visual feedback on motion mimicry ability during video-based rehabilitation

Abstract

The motion mimicry ability of patients facilitates execution of therapy moves based on visual observation of rehabilitation exercise videos, which can help speed up the recovery process. This study investigates the effects of visual feedback on the mimicking ability of human subjects in video-based rehabilitation. Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors was used, which provide a portable system to detect human motion tracking, allowing for experiments to be conducted without space restrictions and provide a greater variety of actions that can be tested. In the experiment, healthy subjects were shown a video of an instructor performing a certain movement task and had to mimic actions to the best of their ability. A real-time visual feedback system, based on input data from IMU sensors, was introduced to inform subjects of the accuracy of their mimicking actions. Subjects were tested with and without feedback and the relevant joint angle data was collected to determine the individual’s mimicking ability. Our results showed a significant improvement in subject’s mimicking ability from “no feedback” to “feedback” condition. The key implication of the findings is that visual feedback provides an extrinsic source that allows patients to better synchronize their hand-eye coordination during mimicry. Potential prospective works will investigate the relevance of motion mimicry mechanism in home-based rehabilitation.

Keywords

• inertial measurement unit
• video-based rehabilitation
• mimicry
• visual feedback