The University of Malta is involved in a € 4 million Horizon 2020 project, titled "Personalised Recovery Through A Multi-User Environment: Virtual Reality For Rehabilitation" (PRIMEVR-2).
This Research Innovation Action proposal aims at using VR-based serious gaming and an innovative controller in order to improve the rehabilitation of the motor function of the arm, hands and fingers. A multidisciplinary research team from UM is involved in the definition of the specifications of the controller, its design, manufacture, assembly, testing and evaluation with typical end-users.
The team, led by , from the , Faculty of Engineering, includes , and Mr Edward Abela from DIME, from the and from the , Faculty for Social Wellbeing.
Prof. Ing. Philip Farrugia, Associate Professor, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at University of Malta said: ‘The University of Malta is very proud to form part of a strong multidisciplinary consortium composed of academic institutions, SMEs and living labs, with the ultimate goal of developing an innovative rehabilitation device and supporting platform. The PRIME-VR2 project will help us to expand our expertise on Design for Assembly and Manufacture since innovative controllers for rehabilitation pose a number of unique challenges to meet relevant standards.’
PRIME-VR2: Accelerating rehab through virtual reality gaming
The EU-funded H2020 PRIME-VR2 3-year project aims to develop a state-of-art digital environment for VR rehabilitation at home and in clinic through a virtual gaming space that will provide effective therapy and friendly competition.
It will be a significant innovation for people with neuromotor disability such as stroke and cerebral palsy; and sports injuries. The Consortium includes 14 institutions in Italy, United Kingdom, Malta, Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, and Cyprus. The PRIME-VR2 team is multi-disciplinary. It includes expertise in virtual reality, additive manufacturing, 3D geometrical form generation, user experience design, user-centred design, electronics design, systems integration and rehabilitation.
The VRHAB-IT platform being developed will focus on supporting the development of functional motor skills in the upper body; with arm, hand and finger movements. The VR environment will be customised with adaptive controllers which will be co-created with users according to their ability and condition. Living Labs to test the technology with users will be taking place in London, Malta and Cyprus.
The results from PRIME-VR2 will be a great step forward for European interactive technology in improving physical health and performance.
