Development of 3D Exergame for Upper Limbs Rehabilitation Using Leap Motion Controller and Unity

Upper Limb (UL) weaknesses, dysfunction, impairment or disabilities are common for several reasons including, sports injuries, working conditions, aging and medical conditions such as strokes. UL physical and neuromuscular rehabilitation aims for regaining original function or preventing patient deterioration the least. Thus far, traditional rehabilitation approaches pose several challenges on patients, therapists, health service providers and caregivers. Recent technological developments provide enough evidence that exergames mark a major leap forward in the field of physical rehabilitation. This paper reports the development of a 3D exergame environment suitable for UL rehabilitation. The developed exergame is based on use of Leap Motion Controller (LMC) with Unity Game Engine and necessary software. The architecture and initial tests of the developed exergame are presented with prospects given on potential future developments. The paper also gives a review of studies reporting use of exergaming and LMC for UL rehabilitation, as well as some definitions related to virtual and immersive gaming environments.