New Haptics Systems Challenge Stroke Patients to Grasp, Pinch, Squeeze,
  Throw,  and Yeah, Get Pushy
From: USC Viterbi School of Engineering - 05/24/2005
By: Diane Ainsworth

An interdisciplinary team of researchers is developing and testing
cutting-edge haptics technologies designed to aid the rehabilitation of
stroke victims at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Integrated Media
Systems Center (IMSC). The National Institutes of Health awarded a $1.8
million grant to IMSC researchers and their colleagues in the University of
Texas, Austin's psychology department last year to collaboratively develop
new haptics interfaces with researchers at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
"Haptics, which adds the sense of touch to 3D computing, lets stroke patients
interact with virtual worlds by feel," says USC Annenberg School for
Communication professor Margaret McLaughlin. Among the interfaces IMSC
researchers have come up with is the PHANToM robotic force-feed device, which
helps users virtually pinch and manipulate objects on a computer screen, with
the help of stereoscopic goggles. Another interface consists of a therapeutic
environment in which the user wears a "cyber grasp" exoskeleton over a data
glove that measures the position and orientation of the hand in 3D space.
McLaughlin says these interfaces allow physical therapists to tailor exercise
programs to each stroke patient's level of impairment, and also provide
instant performance feedback to help the therapist design an increasingly
rigorous rehab program. Also under development is a Web-based
"telerehabilitation" interface that enables both the therapist and the
patient to set recovery goals according to individual patient lifestyle on a
private Web site with a built-in peer-to-peer audio conferencing feature. 

Read the entire article at:
http://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2005/2005_05_24_haptics.htm

Links:
Viterbi School of Engineering
http://viterbi.usc.edu/

Keck School of Medicine
http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/ksom.html