Taylor, T: Therapy Harp in Augmented Reality

Over the last few years, the use of computer simulations has increased significantly, and some of these virtual environments are being investigated for the possible advantage as a therapeutic intervention. With this explosion in popularity, the need to promote functional recovery has come within this technology, and little academic literature exists on how to best utilize this new environment in all forms of feedback. Traditional therapeutic interventions in rehabilitation showed low interaction levels between the patient and environment, as virtual environments have demonstrated a reduced amount of boredom, fatigue, and lack of motivation. This book presents a multimodal three-dimensional harp for interactive musical experiences in therapy for individuals with disabilities. Individuals are engage in a self- motivating therapy with three forms of feedback visual, audio, and haptic during interaction. This book should bring new ideals to usability and therapeutic effectiveness for this area, and should be useful to professionals in rehabilitation fields, or anyone who may be considering utilizing virtual environments for therapeutic efforts.