The need
The RehabSphere project was born from the observation that the current rehabilitation model has structural limitations: it requires the physical presence of the patient in specialized centers, with onerous costs, times and logistics and clinical outcomes that are not always uniform because they depend on resources and skills available on site. This approach particularly penalizes the elderly, people with reduced mobility or those who live far from health centers, fueling inequalities in access to care and leaving without an answer a large segment of the population that would need rehabilitation treatments - in Italy about 27 million people, compared to an insufficient supply of professionals and facilities.
The primary need, therefore, is to have a system that makes rehabilitation more accessible, continuous and standardized, reducing costs and geographical barriers and at the same time guaranteeing immediate feedback and quality comparable (or superior) to traditional therapy. RehabSphere responds to this need by proposing a virtual reality environment with an intelligent agent that allows remote sessions, real-time control of movements and customization of protocols, so as to break down logistical constraints, increase patient engagement and optimize the use of healthcare resources.
The project
RehabSphere revolutionizes rehabilitation by transforming it into an immersive, personalized and usable experience anywhere.
Inside a photorealistic virtual environment, the physiotherapist records the exercises that the patient reproduces in real time, with the possibility of choosing between 1-to-1 multiplayer or assisted mode. An intelligent agent, powered by AI / machine-learning algorithms, compares each gesture of the patient with the “gold standard” movement of the professional, calculates the motor distance and instantly provides vocal or visual corrections. The same agent acts as a smart assistant in natural language, ready to answer questions about pathologies and training protocols.
To ensure therapeutic continuity even in rural areas or for people with reduced mobility, the platform offers encrypted telerehabilitation sessions that reduce travel costs, CO₂ emissions and quality differences between health centers. The architecture integrates:
- Computer-vision marker-less for millimetric joint tracking;
- a fully GDPR compliant clinical data layer;
- a gamification system that maintains high engagement and adherence to care.
By combining immersive VR, artificial intelligence and secure cloud services, RehabSphere aims to:
- Enhance the effectiveness of treatments, with motion recognition algorithms that are over 90% accurate;
- Put the patient at the center, adapting each session to his motor profile and individual progress;
- Extend accessibility in areas with a lack of health services, reducing logistical and economic barriers.
Project funded by the PNRR – Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.5 “Innovation Ecosystems”, I-NEST Ecosystem – Spoke 2 (Health, Food & Lifestyles) – University of Trento.
