Stroke Rehabilitation

Upper limb rehabilitation after a stroke is vital when bringing a range of motion and strength back to a patient. Treatment for upper limb rehabilitation has come in many diverse methods over the years including the use of modern technology through the use of mirror visual feedback (MVF) and action observation therapy; this thesis digital applications for stroke rehabilitation and how varying visual styles can impact the patients experience in the upper limb rehabilitation process. Within the gaming medium the visual style in a game is an aspect of immersion and appeal that is often neglected by the user. The visual style of a game often reflects the tone a game designer has intended to convey while also catering to the target audiences expectations, with realism potentially appealing to a more mature audience while brighter abstract visuals may appeal to a younger demographic. By utilising two different styles of imagery, both realistic and cartoon based visuals, the level of immersion was observed and the user’s reaction to each form of visuals was analysed. The aim of this thesis is to investigate both realistic and stylized visual styles of computer generated imagery, distinguish the advantages and disadvantages for both realism in comparison to cartoon and finally analyse its effectiveness to assist the rehabilitation of upper limb deficiencies. The application being used for this study was made in collaboration with Victoria University Masters student Nicholas Wellwood, providing me the opportunity to focus solely on producing diverse and engaging visual styles to work in unison with a fully developed framework.