Kinect-enabled home-based rehabilitation system using Dynamic Time Warping and fuzzy logic

Most formal rehabilitation facilities are situated in a hospital or care center setting, which may not always be conveniently accessible for patients, especially those in geographically isolated areas. Home-based rehabilitation has potential to offer greater accessibility and thus increase consistent uptake. In addition, the exercise performed in conventional rehabilitation contexts may be insufficient to ensure the patient’s speedy recovery, with complimentary rehabilitation exercises at home required to make a difference. The goal is to provide effective home-based rehabilitation offering outcomes similar to those obtained through hospital-based rehabilitation under the supervision of an occupational therapist. This paper presents the development of a Kinect-based system for ensuring home-based rehabilitation using a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm and fuzzy logic. The ultimate goal is to assist patients in conducting safe and effective home-based rehabilitation without the immediate supervision of a physician. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.