Physical Therapy
Combine the 3dRudder with a VR experience for occupational therapy, exposure therapy, physical therapy or relaxation exercises
Combine the 3dRudder with a VR experience for occupational therapy, exposure therapy, physical therapy or relaxation exercises
For patients experiencing reduced ankle and feet mobility due to long period of physical inactivity or following surgery, the 3dRudder is a great way to start reeducation with soft, pain free exercises
The 3dRudder proves helpful to stimulate lower-limb motor functions and work on coordination and balance exercises for patients recovering from strokes or the elderly
The 3dRudder includes 6 pressure sensors that register the applied force to the board. The measure of each sensor can be retrieved independently, enabling you to finely track the progress of your patient for each type of strength-training exercise.
The 3dRudder has a rounded basis that allows wide range-of-motion exercises. Angles of inclination and rotation are tracked to help you measure improvement towards full range-of-motion recovery.
Exposure therapy conducted in public places may have unpredictable effects; and exposing the patient to real situations is not always easily feasible. Using Virtual reality simulations in combination with the 3dRudder significantly lessens the risk level and gives both the patient and the therapist the ability to control the grade of exposure while comfortably seated in an office. As a foot motion controller used seated, the 3dRudder avoids any kind of falling injury, or loss of balance, and is safe and easy to operate.
VR exposure therapy is mostly thought of as a series of simulations controlled by the therapist according to the patient’s reaction to a given level of stress. The 3dRudder aims at giving the patient, under the supervision of the therapist, the ability to withdraw from an anxiogenic situation when they feels they have reached their limit or to take upon himself to go further when they feel ready to. Creating this sense of control over the patient’s own fears is a new approach to the therapy that may have a significant impact on the treatment of anxiety disorders.
The patient is equipped with a head-mounted display and led through a virtual environment that relates directly to his fears.
Let’s take the example of a patient suffering from agoraphobia. The objective of the simulation is to gradually take the patient to enter a crowded hall. During the simulation phase, the 3dRudder comes as a controller given to the patient to literally walk around in the VR experience and decide where he wants to go and when. If the patient feels ready to step into the crowded hall, he tilts the 3dRudder forward to ‘walk’ forward and enter the hall. If the situation becomes too frightening, he just tilts the device backward to walk away.
Relaxation exercises are one promising use of virtual reality. Putting on the VR headset immediately puts you into soothing environments, and the 3dRudder lets you wander into them, giving you the opportunity to stroll peacefully, and enjoy the relaxing effects at their fullest.
By allowing you to journey within the experience, the 3dRudder turns you from a spectator to a traveler. Your mind slowly drifts away from daily stress, leaving you with a feeling of well-being.
The 3dRudder is a motion-controller used seated, which makes it safe to use regardless of the patient’s condition
Moving in a VR or 3D simulation with the 3dRudder is surprisingly intuitive, and takes less than 1 minute to learn, no matter the age of the patient
Simple movements of the feet suffice to trigger the 3dRudder: tilting, rotating or exerting pressure are all it takes to move in the application
The 3dRudder accounts for less than 10% of the price of Windows VR equipment.
John Carline
Founder of Greener Games