Virtualising the nine hole peg test of finger dexterity

摘要

Using Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) approaches in physical rehabilitation can lead to better controlled, more client motivating, and more flexible forms of therapy. The Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) is a standard instrument in physiotherapy to practice and assess a patient's hand motor control abilities. A physical, wooden or plastic board with nine holes and cylindrical shaped pegs are used to perform this task. There are only limited ways of varying the degree of difficulty or to precisely measure progress with this physical setup. This study presents the development of a VR/AR version of the NHPT and evaluates the usability of three versions: (1) the real life wooden version, (2) a video-mediated version and (3) a computer-generated AR version built from lowcost off-the-shelf components. Our results show that all three conditions were successfully completed by all participants with the highest measured performance and perceived usability still achieved in the real life situation. This indicates that the implementation of currently available low-cost, off-the-shelf components is not yet reliable enough to suggest its use for therapeutic exercises or assessments that require very fine finger level interaction.