The Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) is developing the hardware and software complex "Aglaya", which is aimed at helping in the rehabilitation of stroke patients with the help of audio-visual accompaniment.
The laboratory, which is being developed under the guidance of Valeria Kapustina, Head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of the Faculty of Humanities at NSTU-NETI, was created within the framework of the Priority 2030 program.
The purpose of the laboratory is to create neuropsychological developments aimed at health conservation to increase the healthy longevity of the population. Now the activities of the staff are focused on the development of the rehabilitation system "Aglaya", assisting the previously developed at the NSTU-NETI "Hephaestus".
The Hephaestus Rehabilitation Complex is a medical software and hardware complex that helps patients who have lost the ability to walk after a stroke to restore walking skills. The technology is based on imitation of walking with the help of mechanical limb support. The project was developed at NSTU-NETI under the guidance of Alexey Tsygulin, Associate Professor of the Department of Design of Technological Machines and the Department of Theoretical and Applied Computer Science within the framework of the Priority 2030 program.
Before the development of Aglai, the team conducted a study in which patients of the Novosibirsk City Clinical Hospital aged 60 to 80 years participated. The study showed that elderly patients do not experience typical depression and anxiety after a stroke, but they tend to experience sleep problems, fatigue, self-doubt and a sense of worthlessness. This allowed scientists to hypothesize the need to use positive emotions and memory along with physical activity, which will help the patient want to return to his former life.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to develop rehabilitation methods that will be perceived as simple, but at the same time allow patients to reproduce habitual actions (for example, a walk in the park) and feel responsible for the result. According to the developers, it is the combination of "Aglai" and "Hephaestus" that will help patients feel more confident in real life and gradually restore their independence in movements and activity.
"Technically, Aglaya is a hardware and software complex, which is a large screen on a tripod, to which a computer and Hephaestus controllers are connected to synchronize video and patient movements during training. Aglaia uses a complex effect of visual content and physical exercises: the patient trains on a simulator while watching a video route on a monitor," said Valeria Kapustina.
Unlike AR/VR technologies, a minimal amount of stimuli is used, focusing on real movement. This avoids brain overload and creates a more natural and attractive environment for rehabilitation. The difference from gamification is that the technology does not use artificial scenarios and graphics, but seeks to use the patient's real memories to stimulate his emotional sphere and motivation to return to normal life.
The system is under development: now the team is creating first-person videos that immerse patients in the feeling of walking through familiar places, for example, along Mikhailovskaya Embankment, Akademgorodok or near the Globus Theater. According to the developers, using memories will help stimulate the creation of new positive neural connections and, as a result, speed up the rehabilitation process.
"Taking into account the fact that patients are on the simulator for 5 to 15 minutes, we decided that the videos should have a meaningful meaning for a person, for example, not just walk straight down the street, but take a specific route from one point of the city to another, simulating a real life situation," Valeria Kapustina added.
"Hephaestus controllers transmit information to Aglaia, which allows you to personalize the rehabilitation system for each patient: the video on the screen is synchronized with the movements of a person on the simulator, adjusting to the user's pace. Hephaestus receives information from Aglaya about obstacles, ascents and descents on video and simulates these conditions mechanically: when displaying climbing stairs, the simulator simulates the correct movements that help the patient feel this process. In the future, we plan to expand the functionality of Hephaestus — to add the ability to "walk" and move not only from the first, but also from the third person, as if the patient controls his character in the game, which will enable the use of mirror neurons and further increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation," commented Alexey Tsygulin.
According to the developers, Aglaya has the potential to be used not only in rehabilitation centers where the duration of treatment is limited, but also at home or fitness centers. To do this, it is necessary to develop a more compact version of Aglai and ensure compatibility with simulators, such as steppers or treadmills, through special controllers.