Adaptive gameplay and difficulty adjustment in a gamified upper-limb rehabilitation

Lack of motivation during physical rehabilitation is a very common problem that worsens the efficacy of rehabilitation, decreasing the recovery rates of the patient. We suggest a gamified upper-limb rehabilitation that incorporates adaptive gameplay and difficulty so as to overcome that issue, emerging as a support tool for physical therapy professionals. The presence of difficulty adjustment in the game allows a higher motivation level for the patients by preserving the trade off between keeping the difficulty low enough to avoid frustration, but high enough to promote motivation and engagement. This rehabilitation game is a home-based system that allows the patient to exercise at home, due to its Kinect-based portable setup. The game aims to increase the motivation of the patients and thus the speed of their recovery. To accomplish that goal, it is key to potentiate a full immersion into the therapeutic activity. Thus gamification elements, gameplay design and adaptive difficulty are explored and incorporated into the concept.