Smash Me

MCL served as the research subcontract partner with VRMC on a project to explore the feasibility of the mixed reality environment as a physical rehabilitation tool for patients needing upper body extremity rehabilitation, whether from a stroke or other impairment. MCL created two playful scenarios where the participants were trying to either catch, or squash, cartoon-like virtual bugs. “Catch Me” asked the participants to catch the virtual bugs flying through the environment while standing, and place them in a large jar lid. “Smash Me” asked participants to sit at a table, and try to smash large virtual bugs on the table. 

The goal of the project was two-fold: to see if the MR environment would support the evolution of a rehabilitation therapy by allowing the parameters of bug movement to be controlled by the therapist over time, and to see if the MR environment would encourage participants to want to continue the therapy. VRMC’s long-range goal of the partnership is to create a commercial product that could be used in therapy environments, including the home environment.