Textile Game Controller: Smart knee pads for Therapeutic Exercising

Esther Friederike Zahn, Hannah Friederike Fischer, Clara Elisabeth Gleiß, Eleftherios Avramidis, Gesche Joost

Abstract: In the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation, location-independent training has gained importance. We present the further development of a wearable for this purpose including gamification to improve successful training. A wearable was developed to increase the motivation of patients to perform their prescribed physical therapy exercises at home. Extending a pair of smart trousers [12], smart knee pads connected to a gaming app were developed. A comparative qualitative study was conducted in order to explore how users react to playing a game as an extension of their physiotherapy session. The results of the user test show that the majority of respondents consider technology-enabled training to be helpful for their therapy success. Aspects of a "playful approach" and "competition" were named as the main motivating factors for the use of wearables in a therapy context. However, "competition" was only rated positively by male participants.