Body-Environment Proximity Measurement: An integrated approach to measuring mobility deficits for assessment and treatment

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Mobility is complex and persons with acquired mobility problems have difficulty navigating daily environments. Research is showing that how we physically interact with our environment can reveal deficits in navigational ability and general cognitive functioning that are not revealed by traditional clinical tests. The objective of this multidisciplinary partnership of researchers, clinicians and industry is to adapt new technology for sensing proximity into a system that can provide clinically accurate measures of the position of patients with respect to parts of the environment. Such measures are only presently available through sophisticated and expensive laboratory equipment. Prototypes will be tested both in the laboratory as well as in clinical case studies. The proposed system will provide clinicians, as well as researchers, with unprecedented opportunities to measure mobility in different settings (clinic, school, residence) and better assess and rehabilitate walking deficits. The proposed system also offers potential longer term application to further advance the ability to use virtual reality in rehabilitation and to provide innovative aspects to intelligent environments that can interact with patients to aide safe mobility.