VR + Healthcare: Improving How Patients Recover and Rehabilitate

Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) PhD candidate Sam Adeniyi is leveraging virtual reality (VR) to aid rehabilitation in different healthcare settings. Inspired by his own personal experiences with rehabilitation work, Adeniyi’s research focuses on building VR environments that encourage patients to improve rehabilitation outcomes, and exercise without it feeling like a chore or part of their therapy plan.

“I tore my ACL during my undergraduate years while I was playing football, and I worked with a provider that was experimenting with different technologies that could help athletes return to sport quicker,” Adeniyi said. “I loved that concept and wanted to pursue that type of work moving forward. I worked with a professor that had a stroke, and we discussed in depth how computing science could improve the recovery process in different ways.”  

For one study, Adeniyi teamed up with doctors at M Health Fairview Hospitals to work with cancer patients on their rehabilitation exercises. In this first-of-its-kind feasibility study, patients used VR to play a game in a kitchen with objects flying towards them. Their goal was to avoid knives and collect ingredients for a dish. In another game, participants were inside the body working to knock out bad blood cells and collect good cells. This study provided valuable qualitative feedback that will improve future studies in this field. 

“Our goal is to help patients return to their regular day-to-day activities as quickly as possible without wearing them out in the process. A lot of patients are not comfortable doing exercises. We are using VR to change the perception around these exercises in a fun, motivating way so it just feels like you are playing a game and doesn’t feel like you are just doing your rehab work.” 

In his work with the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab at the University of Minnesota, Adeniyi is using a virtual gym to provide biofeedback metrics to patients in real time as they go through their exercises. Patients can see their own avatar in the virtual gym that mirrors their movement and mechanics. This allows them to see how they are moving and have a sense of embodiment in the environment.  

“Both projects work outside of the computer science space. Working with folks in different healthcare settings expands the way I think about these projects, because their goals are very practical in nature and I need to make sure my systems are helping facilitate that. The goal is to expand the use of VR to improve different aspects of a human’s life.”

Adeniyi is advised by C&SE Professor Victoria Interrante and works in the newly renovated space in Shepherd Labs. He collaborates with students and faculty in various areas of visual computing in the collaboration-focused space.

“I think the new space in Shepherd Labs definitely helps facilitate more collaboration with my peers. It is so much easier to chat with other researchers and share ideas that can help improve our individual projects. It’s also easier to work with our advisors and get feedback quickly as we move through these projects.”

Learn more about Adeniyi’s work on his LinkedIn page.