Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden.
Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
BMC Geriatr. 2021 Feb 26;21(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02061-9.
Impaired balance leading to falls is common in the older adults, and there is strong evidence that balance training reduces falls and increases independence. Reduced resources in health care will result in fewer people getting help with rehabilitation training. In this regard, the new technology augmented reality (AR) could be helpful. With AR, the older adults can receive help with instructions and get feedback on their progression in balance training. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of using AR-based visual-interactive tools in balance training of the older adults.
Seven older adults (66-88 years old) with impaired balance trained under supervision of a physiotherapist twice a week for six weeks using AR-based visual-interactive guidance, which was facilitated through a Microsoft HoloLens holographic display. Afterwards, participants and physiotherapists were interviewed about the new technology and their experience of the training. Also, fear of falling and balance ability were measured before and after training.
Five participants experienced the new technology as positive in terms of increased motivation and feedback. Experiences were mixed regarding the physical and technical aspects of the HoloLens and the design of the HoloLens application. Participants also described issues that needed to be further improved, for example, the training program was difficult and monotonous. Further, the HoloLens hardware was felt to be heavy, the application's menu was difficult to control with different hand manoeuvres, and the calibration took a long time. Suggestions for improvements were described. Results of the balance tests and self-assessment instruments indicated no improvements in balance performance after AR training.
The study showed that training with the new technology is, to some extent, feasible for the older adults, but needs further development. Also, the technology seemed to stimulate increased motivation, which is a prerequisite for adherence to training. However, the new technology and training requires further development and testing in a larger context.
老年人普遍存在平衡能力受损导致跌倒的问题，有强有力的证据表明平衡训练可以减少跌倒次数并提高独立性。医疗保健资源的减少将导致更少的人得到康复训练的帮助。在这方面，新技术增强现实（AR）可能会有所帮助。通过 AR，老年人可以在平衡训练中获得有关指导的帮助，并获得有关其进展的反馈。本初步研究的目的是检验在老年人平衡训练中使用基于 AR 的视觉交互工具的可行性。
7 名平衡能力受损的老年人（66-88 岁）在物理治疗师的监督下，每周两次使用基于 AR 的视觉交互指导进行六周的训练，该指导是通过 Microsoft HoloLens 全息显示器来实现的。之后，参与者和物理治疗师就新技术以及他们的训练体验接受了采访。同时，在训练前后还测量了跌倒恐惧和平衡能力。
五名参与者认为新技术在增加动机和反馈方面具有积极意义。参与者对 HoloLens 的物理和技术方面以及 HoloLens 应用程序的设计的体验存在差异。参与者还描述了需要进一步改进的问题，例如，训练计划难度大且单调。此外，HoloLens 硬件感觉较重，应用程序的菜单难以用不同的手部操作进行控制，并且校准需要很长时间。还提出了改进建议。平衡测试和自我评估工具的结果表明，AR 训练后平衡性能没有提高。
该研究表明，新技术的训练在某种程度上对老年人是可行的，但需要进一步发展。此外，该技术似乎激发了更高的积极性，这是坚持训练的前提。然而，新技术和训练需要在更大的范围内进一步开发和测试。
