RehabCoach
Upper limb sensorimotor impairments are common after neurological and accident-related trauma and can severely affect quality of life. Unsupervised technology-supported rehabilitation, i.e., assisted by simple and engaging rehabilitation technologies that could be used independently, is a promising approach to provide quality rehabilitation along the continuum-of-care, from clinic to the home of patients, in a cost-effective manner. We are developing RehabCoach, a unique concept combining a compact and easy-to-use rehabilitation robot with a digital coaching mobile application to motivate patients to engage in self-directed therapy.
RehabCoach is a smartphone application designed to support neurological patients during home-based technology-supported unsupervised therapy, specifically with ReHandyBot, our upper-limb rehabilitation device. The app features multiple AI-based conversational agents, which enable patients to interact with an ecosystem of virtual assistants in a highly interactive manner. As primary features, the virtual coaches of the app are there to remind patients to engage in home-based therapy exercises, provide therapy assistance, educational material and motivational support.
Ongoing studies aim to refine the conversational agent interface using large language models and enhance user engagement with accessible user design features. The aim of RehabCoach is to assist patients in their rehabilitation journey outside clinical settings by increasing adherence and motivation for unsupervised rehabilitation, increase access to higher dose of quality therapy, and ultimately enhancing rehabilitation outcomes.
