VirtualRehabART4Health blends art, technology, and rehabilitation in VR. Players explore calming forests and oceanscapes filled with nature sounds and classical music. They follow virtual trainers for yoga and physiotherapy exercises, with options for standing or sitting and easy or advanced difficulty levels.
Core play involves navigating 3D environments using a controller or map for orienteering tasks that build coordination. Interact with the world by watering landscapes with dewdrops to grow flowers and trees, earning rewards like northern lights. This indie casual sports experience suits those seeking pain distraction, stress relief, and gentle exercise from home or institutions.
VR designed for awe and rehab.
The experience combines virtual art, technology, and rehabilitation.
When we, in reality, are contained to our home, nursing home, or hospital room. We can in the virtual reality experience wonder in new, calming worlds.
A remarkable intersection between art, pain relief, and exercise.
some voices in betatesting:
wow! So beautiful and peaceful! I want to use this as a relaxing break in my computer work!
I love the small figures in the sea landscape and the growing flowers in the yoga session.
So beautiful music and peaceful surroundings! The voice of the psyiotherapist is so relaxing!
So nice to walk around, looking for growing flowers and make the waterdrops water the landscape.
I forgot my pain and that I am in a boring institution! thank you! so full of fantasy and awe!
Within the VR-headset, the player is surrounded by calming forests and oceanscapes, sounds of nature, and classical music.
The player can also perform yoga and physiotherapy exercises with a personal, virtual trainer.
By orienteering with a map in a 3D environment, the player can practice and develop their cognition.
The exercises and movements have been designed by professional yoga instructors and physiotherapists that work with rehabilitation.
Virtual Rehab
ART4Health
VR design Åsa Egnér
Programming Johnny Nyman, Softwarehut Polen
Modelling Carolina Ask, Evermotion, Polen
Music Satie, Grieg, Debussy, Bach, Mozart, Ravel, Schumann.
Pianist Jonathan Sersam Sound Hans Nilsson och Joar Egnér Löfberg
Motion Capture HumLabb, Lunds Universitet Video David Blomquist
Yoga- and voice instruction Michaela Tellenmark
Physiotherapy Ulrika Björck, Caroline Dahlberg
Voice instruction physiotherapy Oliver Lindman
Dancer Osama Al Shihabi Character modelling Peter Flygenring Toft
Business advisor Anne-Sofie Frey.
Created with support from Vinnova Innovation.
Credits: Theis Madsen MD&CEO CopenRealityApS.
Virtual Rehab has been further developed from a prototype called “Virtual Recovery”.
The basic idea and prototype were developed in a collaborative project between VR designer Åsa Egnér, Kreativitetsbanken
and Dr Theis Madsen, CopenReality ApS. The prototype was funded by Cross4Health.
©VirtualRehabART4Health
MENU
In the game’s menu the player can choose
options for language, environment, exercises,
standing or sitting, and easy or more advanced difficulty. Easy difficulty excludes
movements above shoulder height.
EXPLORATION:
Yoga, Physiotherapy
The player can explore visual and calming
worlds at their own pace, either by sitting
or standing. By using the controller, the
player moves through ocean- and forest
environments, and makes their way to either
a yoga- or physio-therapy exercise with
different difficulty levels.
3D Orienteering
VR enables a unique opportunity to train 3D
orienteering via a map. This may develop the
coordination between mind and body, since
the player learns to navigate to different
targets.
Yoga och Physiotherapy
Through paintings, the player enters either
an oceanscape or a redwood forest. They are
then automatically transported to a previously chosen yoga- or physiotherapy session.
Rewards
Besides relaxation, exploration, and exercise,
the player is rewarded with for instance growing flowers and trees, northern lights, and
water drops. These rewards and the beautiful
environments and sounds can create awe and
motivate the player to return to the game and
the exercise.
Personal Trainer
The player exercises with other 3D-characters, which simulates a group session with a
virtual instructor.
Research
There are many scientific reports about the
advantages of VR. In virtual reality, the brain
is ”tricked” into believing that it is in a new
location. VR distracts from pain, and can
relieve stress and anxiety.
Technology
All characters in the game are created through
motion capture technology in co-operation
with the university of Lund’s Humlabb.
To play Virtual Rehab, you need:
● a VR headset with the associated
controller for Oculus rift or HTC Vive.
● a copy of the game which will be available on digital platforms such as Steam.
● a computer that meets the system
requirements for VR.
MENU:
FOREST/GARDEN
SWEDISH/ENGLISH
FOREST – explore, physiotherapy
● Press and release the thumbstick to
move forward, choose directions with
the pointer.
● Explore nature, and water the environment with dew drops along the way.
● Training: the instructor begins the
exercise when the player enters the
ring of stones.
● Imitate the instructor’s movements.
4 different exercise locations.
● After the training session: hit
dewdrops with the front trigger,
so that trees grow.
Orienteering forest
● Press and release the thumbstick to
move forward, choose directions with
the pointer.
● Orienteering: open the map with the
front trigger and navigate toward the
goal.
● At the goal, move potential rocks with
the side button, aim at the dewdrop.
● 3 orienteering goals appear on the
map per round.
Physiotherapy, single
● In the menu, choose options for
standing, sitting, and easy or
advanced difficulty.
● Travel through a painting to the
exercise.
● Aim at the dewdrops with the front
trigger after a finished session of
physiotherapy.
● Enjoy growing trees and a beautiful
night sky that finishes the session.
OCEAN – explore, yoga
● Press, and release, the thumbstick to
move forward, aim with the pointer.
● Walk around in nature, watch flowers
and water the environment with
dewdrops.
● Yoga: when the player enters the ring
of stones, the instructor begins the
exercise.
● Imitate the instructor’s movements.
Put down the hand controller.
● The flowers grow during the yoga
movements. 4 different exercise
locations.
Orienteering ocean
● Press and release the thumbstick to
move forward, aim with the pointer.
● Orienteering: open the map with the
front trigger and navigate toward
the goal.
● At the goal, move rocks with the side
button, aim at dewdrops so that
flowers grow.
● On the map a new goal appears which
the player can find, three goals per
round.
Yoga, separate
● In the menu, choose standing, sitting,
easy or advanced difficulty.
● Travel through a painting to the yoga
exercise. The controller can be excluded.
● Imitate the instructor’s movements.
● Enjoy growing trees and a starry night
sky that concludes the round.
Virtual Rehab
ART4Health
