Architecture, Enhancements and Perspective of the L-NeRVEn Virtual Environment for Neurorehabilitation

Virtual reality is gaining more and more importance in the neurorehabilitation of patients suffering from the consequences of a stroke, a spinal cord injury, or other conditions. This paper deals with L-NeRVEn, a software solution for after-stroke upper limb neurorehabilitation. L-NeRVEn offers a shared virtual environment, experienced via a VR headset, where animated full-body avatars represent both the therapist and the patient. The patient’s task is to imagine a particular movement with his or her disabled limb and the success of this imagination is determined by the processing and classification of the patient’s electroencephalography (EEG) signal. The EEG processing component is loosely coupled with the rest of the solution and can be easily replaced. The paper presents the architecture of L-NeRVEn, explains the interaction of its components during a basic therapy procedure, lists certain enhancements of the system implemented on the basis of experts’ feedback, and offers perspectives for the future development of the solution.