AR system for inclusive play, entertainment, and physical rehabilitation for children with neuromotor impairments such as Cerebral Palsy, in clinical or school environments.

Principal Investigator(s): Roland Graf Stamps School of Art & Design; Sun Young Park, Stamps School of Art & Design; Hun-Seok Kim, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering

Unit(s) Involved: Faculty/Partner Medical School, Robotics, Computer vision

Summary: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders and one of the most common physical disabilities in childhood. Approximately 500,000 children under the age of 18 currently suffer from cerebral palsy in the United States. Many use power wheelchair, and have little chance for independent physical play/exercise and social activities. Existing assistive technologies help, but do not sufficiently support the need for improving physical and psychosocial development.

This study will develop an AR system that simulates the interaction with a ball or disc on a shared physical playfield. In our initial study, we plan to use interactive projection technology to generate a moving target on the floor. With that outcome, we plan to test the potential of AR for inclusive sports for children with CP; this research should also help others living with conditions, such as children with autism or down syndrome, who especially need social experiences to improve their health.