Spark Delivers Augmented Reality Physical Therapy Exercises at Home

Spark is a cost-effective telerehabilitation platform that helps physical therapists engage with patients with musculoskeletal injuries both in clinical settings and at home.

Spark is an affordable augmented reality physical therapy platform designed to assist with the recovery of patients with musculoskeletal injuries. The telemedicine platform combines smart interactive floor and wall-mounted projectors with custom physical therapy exercises to engage patients in therapeutic tasks either at a therapist's office or at home.

Spark was developed to keep patients motivated during their recovery process and help them complete their treatment. Patients with musculoskeletal injuries often abandon their therapy programs because these involve long sets of tedious, repetitive exercises. As a result, patients don’t fully recover from their injuries. Unlike traditional rehabilitation programs, the Spark platform engages them in fun game-like exercises tailored to their needs and abilities and provides them with insights into their performance and progress.

The system uses two intelligent projectors and a 3D infrared sensor to train and track movement and to deliver interactive therapeutic exercises in the patient's preferred environment: at home. The wall projector displays the patient's personal avatar, while the floor projector guides the patient through various movements. Both projectors provide patients with visual feedback that helps them correct and improve their technique. In addition to tracking patients' progress, the system makes suggestions for improvement during training sessions.

The exercises are tailored to the patient's injury, preferences and progress. During each exercise, patients get insight into their pain tolerance and exertion levels. The platform also sends real-time feedback to therapists about the level of pain the patient is experiencing while doing the exercises, and the data allows the system to create more effective therapy routines. Spark tracks the patient's completion efficiency and endurance to deliver more personalized exercises.

Spark was developed by a team of designers at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. In 2017, the platform won the Red Dot Award for Communication Design.

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