Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation

Abstract

This thesis investigates VR Virtual Reality as a modern rehabilitation device and virtual rehabilitation for physical therapy for populations suffering from peripheral nerve injuries like brachial plexus injuries. It explains how VR rehabilitation may develop improvements in reaction time, balance, and strengthening through increasingly challenging, controlled, and engaging therapy tasks. It creates a VR rehabilitation environment from the ground up in Unity and most 3D assets in Blender. It develops and tests three virtual rehabilitation games - a balance game, a reaction time game, and an object moving game for strengthening - that conclude that VR rehabilitation is a motivating, customizable, long-term therapeutic environment for patient growth. Thus, this thesis demonstrates that Virtual Reality Rehabilitation is an effective complementary approach to an established therapeutic exercise program to enhance treatment outcomes.