Development of a Virtual Reality System Based Cycling Training for Health Promotion of Individuals Post-Stroke

The objective of this paper is to develop and test the feasibility of a virtual reality system-based cycling that enables individuals post-stroke with lower extremity impairments to train balance, gait, and cardiorespiratory fitness that enhance possible transfer of training from virtual environment to real world walking. The bicycle is equipped with mechatronic components with sensors for acquiring walking kinematics and physiological parameters to monitor training safety while running serious games in a virtual cycling environment with 3D visual, audible and haptic feedback. The mechatronic components of pedal allow user to determine balance on both feet and range of motion of both ankles to detect tilt in the dorsal and plantar flexion. Novel cadence components embedded with close loop control method accommodates differences in lower extremity impairments. The control box is used to collect data from sensors on both pedals, pedal revolutions, and heart-rate, which are processed and transmitted to the computer. Moreover, a software system allows user to manipulate virtual environment and change the perception of how fast user’s movement in virtual environment. From the results of the preliminary test of the prototype on two healthy control participants during 4-week cycling training, it is found that use of the prototype is safe, feasible, and efficacious for post-stroke training and improving aerobic capacity and walking endurance.