At CHD Rehabilitation, we’re always looking for innovative ways to offer person-centred care to our lovely residents.
So, we are delighted to be amongst the first in the UK to trial a brand new product, which uses video game-based technology to help those with neurological impairments regain functional abilities, turning the work of rehab into play.
What is the ‘Obie’?
An interactive gaming console with an embedded, advanced projector that transmits onto any surface (floors, walls, and tabletops), the Obie allows participants to engage in active play using body movements, hand-eye coordination tactics, and by touching displayed images. It has been proven to benefit residents, particularly those in rehabilitation, by encouraging movement and offering cognitive stimulation through the provision of active games, with hundreds available for users to choose from.
At Kingston Rehabilitation Centre, we began trialling the award-winning Obie product for 4 weeks - and we’re thrilled to say that we’re already seeing the benefits.
The product has been developed by EyeClick, a world leader in interactive technology and innovators of the BEAM projection-based gaming system, which is used worldwide in McDonald's franchises to provide children with a digital play space to enjoy during visits.
Working with Prof. Elkhonon Goldberg, a renowned cognitive neuroscientist and clinical neuropsychologist, EyeClick chose content for the Obie which provides a multi-sensory experience for users, with games structured around success and progression that encourage movements similar to those needed for everyday living.
Speaking of how Obie has been developed to suit an ageing and physically impaired population, Dr. Michal Herz Aging Product Manager at EyeClick said: “Our aim was to create a space for fun and playfulness, which is an ageless need. We wanted to create visual and sensory stimuli which are inviting and enticing. In doing so, we created images that resonate with a playful environment, but in a way that speaks to an ageing population. The images are clear and bright, and the content is of a positive visual nature, whilst the games themselves are structured around success and progression.
In addition, there are unique requirements that support older people’s ability to play. The game is the focus - and not visual effects and additional movements, which can cause over stimulation. We also added audio, which creates an appropriate feel. The games operate for people with different cognitive abilities and can be adjusted to suit each individual's needs.
Besides being engaging and fun, the games have a variety of effects to do with cognitive skills, such as short-term memory, spatial awareness, hand eye coordination, breadth of movement and collaboration.”
Since we introduced the Obie technology to our residents at Kingston Rehabilitation Centre last month, we have noticed a positive difference in their physical and emotional wellbeing. We’ve incorporated use of the Obie within physical therapy sessions, whilst also encouraging our residents to use it in their free time.
The Obie has, so far, helped us enhance our rehabilitation offering, assisting our residents with their upper limb mobility, coordination, strength and reaction, whilst also acting as a brain stimulant.
Each resident that’s used the Obie, so far, has shared really positive comments, expressing their delight that it’s made such a positive contribution to their rehab journey.
Discussing their collaboration with us, Ariel Almos, Founder and CEO of EyeClick added: “EyeClick, together with our UK partner Exergame Solutions Ltd, is proud to collaborate with Surrey rehabilitation centre in their innovative approach to rehab. We strongly believe in the power of interactive gaming to positively affect the treatment of cognitive and physical disabilities and we are thrilled to see that Obie can make a positive difference for their patients."
At CHD Rehab, we can’t wait to see where this new development takes us as it becomes a more integral part of our rehabilitation offering.
If you’d like to find out more, or you’d like to discover more about our services, please do browse our website or contact a member of our team.
Last week, we celebrated our residents’ amazing triathlon success at CHD Rehab. To find out more about their incredible efforts, take a look at our previous article.