New Zealand Startup Helps Stroke Victims Recover With Augmented Reality

lucydico (58)in #science • 6 years ago

For those of us who know someone who is dealing with the effects of an ischemic stroke, it's obvious that the road to recovery is a humbling one. Whereas the victims were once able to move their limbs freely, sometimes even simple things like feeding oneself or using the bathroom unassisted need to be relearned from scratch.

A New Zealand technology startup is looking to make the transition easier. By using augmented reality, NZ Fauna AR has created a handheld video game that has affected users progress through an increasingly difficult simulation that mimics rehabilitation therapy for stroke victims.

The game takes place in the New Zealand rainforest where a small kiwi bird - affectionately named "Fizzy" - needs to be fed blueberries in order to survive. However, the only way to feed little Fizzy is to rotate the smartphone device, an activity that helps stroke victims regain precise control of their muscles.

The best part about technology like this is that it's not something that requires a patient to visit a doctor. Users can simply download a smartphone app and play the game as much as they want on their own time. Stroke victims are limited in mobility, so even something as simple as practicing for a few minutes in between commercials could speed up patient recovery tremendously.

Furthermore, the push to "gamify" various aspects of self-improvement makes it more likely that users will actually do their "homework" that is assigned to them by therapists. It's much less humbling to play a game on your smartphone than it is to practice motor skill drills by yourself in front of a mirror.

The game gets linearly more difficult as the game progresses, with physical challenges pushing the limits of patients' motor skills. While technically an understudied field, it was reported that one woman who normally found a sit-stand test difficult was so engrossed in the game that she actually forgot about the pain in her knees after an especially intense gaming session.

Here at Lucyd, we see augmented reality as the next most popular medium. Currently, most augmented reality applications use smartphones to bring the users' real-world environments to life. But with the advent of wearable smartglasses like the upcoming Lucyd Lens, the potential use cases for augmented reality are likely to increase exponentially.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Let us know in a comment!

IMPORTANT NEWS:

The Lucyd eyewear eshop will be open for business at the end of June at lucyd.co. There you will be able to order a variety of high tech and high fashion spex and smartglasses, for both fiat and crypto. We plan to have the first place in the world where you can buy Rx eyewear for crypto. We are also launching a massive marketing campaign for this. You can also help us get the word out by sending your network here or to IDEX.

Lucyd Lens AR beta is on track for delivery in Q1, with the Lens being commercially available not long after. You will need to have purchased 5000 LCD purchased in the token event (and have 5000 LCD on hand to exchange for the beta).

Lucyd is pleased to announce the addition of GINA AVILA to the leadership team, an experienced marketing exec who was previously at the For Eyes eyewear company.

Keep it tuned here for an official announcement in the next few weeks!