Keywords

EMG; ALS; Serious Games; Neurodegenerative; Autonomy; Quality of Life; Powered wheelchair

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease that leads to a lack of independent mobility. One solution uses a unilateral surface EMG (sEMG) interface on the temporalis muscle to provide autonomous control of a powered wheelchair. Limbitless Journey, an EMG-controlled serious game, intends to provide users with a virtual environment to train in before use in a real-world scenario. A recent study analyzed the effect of video game training on the use of sEMG systems on the forearm, showing significant improvement in the usage of the interface but no difference between Free Play and structured play. The study of interest emulates this investigation while extending its generalizability by using the temporalis muscle and incorporating Limbitless Journey as an alternative training method.

Participants first played another training game, Limbitless Runner’s Ring Challenge, as a pre-test, requiring participants to flex at different strengths to jump through hoops of various heights. Participants then completed serious game training, consisting of Journey, Runner’s Ring Challenge, or Runner’s Free Play modes. The pre-test was repeated to detect variation in the score. Two post-assessment surveys were utilized to determine perceptions of the video game training and the usability of the sEMG training system for video game control.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Smith, Peter

College

College of Sciences

Department

Games and Interactive Media Program

Thesis Discipline

Gamified Training and Rehabilitation

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright