Columbia Technology Ventures

Remote extended reality tracking for sitting posture training

This technology is a remote extended reality (XR) rehabilitation system with markerless motion tracking for sitting posture training.

Unmet Need: Accessible posture training tools for home-based rehabilitation

Dynamic postural control during sitting is an essential ability to perform everyday tasks. However, people with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders may have limited functional mobility and decreased quality of life. While conventional physical therapy can improve sitting postural control, there are limited physical therapists available, and the procedures are costly and labor-intensive. Extended reality (XR) intervention has been shown to be effective in inducing neurophysiological changes and improving motor functions, reducing the workload of physical therapists. However, existing XR systems often require expensive hardware or tracking suits, limiting the accessibility of home-based rehabilitation.

The Technology: Remote XR rehabilitation with markerless motion tracking for physical therapy

This technology is a remote extended reality (XR) rehabilitation system with markerless motion tracking for sitting posture training. It collects motion data from online meetings from the built-in camera on the user’s laptop and analyzes questionnaires and functional reach test scores to assess the effectiveness of telerehabilitation. Thus, it improves motor performance and engagement while overcoming traditional limitations like the need for specialized hardware and in-lab training environments, making it more accessible and convenient for users at home. Therefore, this technology has the potential to greatly improve the effectiveness of remote rehabilitation.

This technology has been validated with 42 healthy human subjects.

Applications:

  • Sitting posture training
  • Therapy for patients with neurological disorders
  • Therapy for patients with musculoskeletal disorders
  • Therapy for aging patients
  • Posture and balance training for elderly or disabled individuals
  • Home-based rehabilitation programs
  • Remote physical therapy assessments and interventions

Advantages:

  • Eliminates the need for expensive tracking markers or suits
  • Enables natural movements
  • Facilitates at-home, remote rehabilitation without installation of specialized equipment
  • Enhances patient engagement and training motivation
  • Potential for integration with the existing rehabilitation program
  • Alleviation of the physical burden of physical therapists
  • Cost-effective

Lead Inventor:

Sunil K. Agrawal, Ph.D.

Related Publications:

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