Augmented reality-based training system for hand rehabilitation

This study designs a training system for hand rehabilitation on the basis of augmented reality technology, which enables patients to simultaneously interact with real and virtual environments. The system framework is introduced, and four rehabilitation programs, namely, trajectory training, shelf training, batting training, and spile training, are presented. As a requirement of hand rehabilitation training, a color marker that is suitable for hand rehabilitation training is adopted. Following the Hamming coding principle, this marker is designed as a 7 × 7 square that is filled up by four designated colors with a binary bit of “0” or “1”. The check code in each row of the color marker is applied to restore the occluded binary bits, solve the occlusion issue of color markers, and complete the tracking registration of the color markers. The effectiveness of the developed system is evaluated via a usability study and questionnaires. The evaluation provides positive results. Therefore, the developed system has potential as an effective rehabilitation system for upper limb impairment.