VirtualRehab Launches in Japan

VirtualRehab will make its debut in Japan at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, held from June 5 to 7 in Nagoya.

VirtualRehab, an advanced interactive rehabilitation system designed for use in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders, will be presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, which runs from June 5 to 7 in Nagoya, Japan.

Virtualware, a group of technology companies dedicated to developing software and hardware based on immersive, interactive technologies, has signed a distribution deal for VirtualRehab with Nihon Binary, a technology company based in Japan. Nihon Binary is a supplier of medical imaging equipment, software and peripheral devices to the industrial, medical imaging, research and academic markets.

VirtualRehab is a videogame platform developed by Virtualware’s multidisciplinary team in collaboration with neurology and rehabilitation specialists. The rehabilitation system was designed to complement various physical therapy and rehabilitation programs. It uses Kinect motion capture technology to immerse patients in 3D gaming environments and engaging virtual settings, motivating them to stick with their exercises and have fun playing interactive games. The platform has been well received since its launch, with users logging over 6,500 game sessions and spending more than 650 hours playing games.

VirtualRehab is used in the treatment of patients suffering from neuromuscular, neurovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases, and can also address mobility problems in elderly patients. The rehabilitation system has been validated by the Spanish Neurology Society (SEM) and proven to be effective as a therapy tool in a study presented at the 8th World Congress for Neurorehabilitation (WCNR), held in Istanbul in April. The system supports telerehabilitation and can be used at home, allowing patients to complete therapy programs supervised by their therapists.

The newly signed agreement marks a new milestone in Virtualware’s internationalization strategy. The company’s innovative rehabilitation system is already available in a number of countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

"Japan is an extremely interesting market for us as its quick acceptance of new technologies combined with an important growth of the ageing population and related health problems make it an excellent place for health tech solutions like ours," said David Fried, Director of International Business Development at Virtualware. "Nihon Binary’s long experience in the health sector and this launch at the most prestigious event in the rehabilitation field in Japan will only help VirtualRehab gain traction quickly in the Japanese market."