MyDailyRoutine - a serious game to support people suffering from a cerebral dysfunction

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) turn your life upside down. Alone over 700 citizens experienced severe traumata accompanied with neurological deficits during the Roman-Gaulish confrontations in the Asterix illustrated series. While recovery did not last long in the comic books, real-life traumatic brain injuries pose long-lasting disabilities to patients. One's daily routine is no longer routine, but rather a series of complex tasks which need to be performed in the correct order. Besides experiencing motor deficits and partial loss of executive functioning, activities of daily life become challenging. Hence, brain injury patients have to endure long-lasting, often strenuous rehabilitative sessions. Their brains need to be re-wired, and patients have to be re-enabled to self-reliantly perform activities of daily living. The goal is to come back to a point of prior healthy functioning. This paper introduces a novel technology-enhanced rehabilitation approach with a specific focus on cognitive abilities. The act of autonomously making a cup of coffee serves as an example for a new proposed serious game. Feedback of therapists who actively participated in this research suggests great benefits and high potential for the proposed serious game.