Domen Novak: Virtual Reality and Computer Games for Upper Extremities Rehabilitation

American Slovenian Education Foundation (ASEF) is organizing a new lecture as part of the ASEF Speaker Series. The lecture will be given by dr. Domen Novak entitled “Virtual Reality and Computer Games for Upper Limb Rehabilitation.”

ABSTRACT

People with impaired mobility (as a result of, for example, strokes) have to train intensively for several months to regain lost abilities. Unfortunately, exercise is quite boring, so many people despair and never fully recover. Rehabilitation researchers are thus developing virtual environments and computer games that allow patients to exercise in interesting, engaging environments. In the lecture, I will introduce the broader field of technology-assisted rehabilitation and then focus on our research in multiplayer rehabilitation games in which people with impaired mobility can practice together with other patients, family members, friends or therapists. The emphasis will be on technological development and short-term tests in Switzerland, USA and the University Rehabilitation Institute in Ljubljana.

BIO

Dr. Domen Novak is an associate professor at the University of Wyoming, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He completed his postdoctoral training at the prestigious ETH Zurich. The main research areas of dr. Novak are rehabilitation engineering and general human-machine interaction. He is interested in information that machines can obtain about human performance, intent, and emotional states through sensors such as heart rate, electromyography, electroencephalography, or eye tracking. He is also interested in how machines can help people improve their health and well-being – using virtual environments, wearable devices and other approaches. To achieve these goals, he uses expertise in robotics, biomedical signal processing, sensory data fusion and virtual reality.