Rehabilitation Exercise Using a Smart-Bar Device with Augmented Reality Guide Function

Abstract Background Smart-bar device (SBD) is a newly developed device to measure the body range of motion (ROM) by a kinetic sensor and to provide an exercise program with augmented reality (AR) guidance of body-frame image and audio feedback by mobile application. Objective This study aims to compare the performance of SBD with AR function with a goniometer and to verify the clinical utility of SBD with AR guide function` Methods Ten healthy individuals were enrolled and measured the ROM of body lateral flexion, extension, and rotation using a goniometer and SBD simultaneously. To evaluate the accuracy of an AR-guided exercise, we enrolled three patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and measured the ROM of trunk lateral flexion and rotation during stretching exercises using SBD with or without AR guidance. Results Concurrent validity between the goniometer and SBD was statistically significant, with a very high correlation coefficient from r = 0.836–0.988 ( p < 0.05). All patients with scoliosis showed higher accuracy when we used SBD with AR guidance than when we used SBD without AR guidance ( p < 0.05). Conclusions The SBD could be a valid device to measure the joint angle of neck, shoulder, and trunk. AR guidance increased the accuracy of the stretching exercise, and mobile application of AR-guided stretching exercises with SBD should be useful for scoliosis patients to correct their posture.