Home rehabilitation based on gamification and serious games for young people: A systematic mapping study

Abstract

Physical rehabilitation of people who suffer from some motor disability involves an intensive treatment to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Research studies have proven the benefits of technologies based on home-rehabilitation, which complement regular therapy in hospitals. Although there is a significant number of studies that face this challenge when dealing with adults, it has not been explored with young people. In this research article, we focus on this population, since the repetition of physical exercises decreases the youth’s motivation, which entails a high risk of dropping out of therapy. That is why we present a systematic mapping study of the techniques, devices, and methods used to address home rehabilitation for children and teenagers. The conclusions indicate that it is essential to use gamification techniques to adopt a plug-and-play metaphor, based on natural interaction mechanisms and on the use of non-intrusive devices, and to customize the rehabilitation process for each individual along with a methodology. We also present the improvements applied to an existing gamification-based software prototype for home rehabilitation. In this system, physical exercises can be customized, laying the foundations to promote precision rehabilitation within the context of young people.