Principal Investigators: Dr Sara Demain & Dr Cheryl Metcalf
Project Team: Chemring Technology Solutions (Roke Manor Research Limited)
Previous Team Members: Tom Dell, Adam Malpass, Rebecca Robinson & Tristan Bogle
Date: 2011 - present

In an exciting collaboration with Roke Manor Research Limited, the Microsoft Kinect was used to capture hand and finger movements. In addition, and in an unprecedented innovation, finger joint angles are then calculated in real-time.



During the first phase of this project, four MEng students from Electronics & Computer Science, worked in collaboration with Roke Manor Research Limited and supervised by Dr Metcalf to create a proof of concept system. This work is currently being improved and extended to create this unique platform for monitoring home-based rehabilitation.

The University team has created algorithms that tracks and measures the fine dexterity of individual finger movements. The ultimate aim is to capture the data while the patients follow exercises on a TV or computer screen. The project aims to help people recovering from a stroke to do more regular and precise exercises so that they improve their chances of recovery. The data collected will be fed back to the therapists caring for the patient so they can continually monitor progress, reducing the need for frequent hospital visits. This new system has been developed to complement the home-based physiotherapy care already offered to patients in the UK.

Metcalf, C.D., Robinson, R., Malpass, A.J., Bogle, T.P., Dell, T.A., Harris, C. & Demain, S.H. (2013). Markerless Motion Capture and Measurement of Hand Kinematics: validation and Application to Home-Based Upper Limb Rehabilitation. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 60(8), 2184-2192