title: Development and user evaluation of a virtual rehabilitation system for wobble board balance training.
abstract: We have developed a prototype virtual reality-based balance training system using a single inertial orientation sensor attached to the upper surface of a wobble board. This input device has been interfaced with Neverball, an open source computer game to create the balance training platform. Users can exercise with the system by standing on the wobble board and tilting it in different directions to control an on-screen environment. We have also developed a customized instruction manual to use when setting up the system. To evaluate the usability our prototype system we undertook a user evaluation study with twelve healthy novice participants. Participants were required to assemble the system using an instruction manual and then perform balance exercises with the system. Following this period of exercise VRUSE, a usability evaluation questionnaire, was completed by participants. Results indicated a high level of usability in all categories evaluated.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Performance Science, Health Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. diarmaid.m.fitzgerald@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Diarmaid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Nanthana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trakarnratanakul
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caulfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D004867:Equipment Design; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006112:Gravitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014584:User-Computer Interface