TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation and has been developed with particular reference to a method and system for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation.

It should be noted that here and in the following with the term "sports habilitation" reference is made to all those activities involving basic human (physical and mental) skills, practising them with constancy to improve and use them more profitably. Again, this term indicates the set of single or collective activities, that engage and develop determined psychomotor skills, also performed for recreational or health purposes.

It should be noted that here and in the following the term "neuromotor rehabilitation" means a specific branch of physical and rehabilitative medicine aimed at the recovery of motor functions and the learning of adaptive strategies in subjects affected by invalidating, congenital or acquired diseases.

PRIOR ART

Numerous and different approaches to systems for sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation are known, each of which is based on specific schemes and methods that are particularly suitable for the motor gesture to be habilitated, the type of invalidating disease or the type of subject. Each of these approaches naturally provides for the subject to perform certain exercises, or physical activities involving his neuromotor apparatus, in order to recover or compensate for those deficits created by the pathogenic noxa or congenital or acquired disease that afflicts him or any cause that has reduced the aforementioned psychomotor skills.

The choice and the implementation of such approaches naturally depend on the assessment that an operator, a movement specialist, makes based on the knowledge of the disease, the subject and the skills, and also on his experience gained over the years.

Many computer-based systems are also known that are able to interact with a subject to allow him to perform certain exercises, or physical activities, without the presence of the movement specialist. For example, US8094873 describes a therapeutic device able to cause a bedridden patient to perform a series, or succession, of predetermined movements that are stored on the computer. A camera is able to film the movements of a patient and transmit his dynamic digital representation (avatar) on a screen.

US2002/0146672 describes a method and an apparatus for the rehabilitation of neuromotor disorders, in which one or more parameters of movement of a hand are measured such as the range of motion, speed, fractionation and force. A sensory glove, incorporating "force feedback" technology and worn by the subject, detects the position of the fingers of the user's hand and provides the user with a force feedback while the user is performing an exercise interacting with a virtual image.

WO201 1063079 describes an apparatus and a method for performing remote physical therapy, in which a plurality of sensors applied in various parts of a patient's body (arms, legs, upper and lower part of the trunk, head, feet and hands) determine the position of each body part in relation to the others. The patient is prescribed a predetermined movement to be performed and a computer stores the data coming from the sensors and transmits a dynamic digital representation of these movements (avatar) on a screen. The stored data are subsequently analysed to determine the patient's compliance with the therapeutic treatment.

Numerous experiments conducted by the owner have highlighted that such systems, and in general the known computer-based systems and methods, are not able to approach the results obtained by a physiotherapist or a specialist. One of the main limits of the systems of the known type is the impossibility of compensating for the ability of a movement specialist to identify and determine the effectiveness of the exercise in real time, that is, while the subject is performing this exercise.

A further need that arose in the course of the experiments is to obtain information on the subject's conditions and his progress even in the case where the exercise is not performed in a completely correct manner by the subject and thus to obtain more information than just the two pieces of information obtained from the systems of known type on the subject’s movements: right or wrong.

In virtue of the above, an object of the present invention is that of providing a solution to such needs.

This and other objects are reached through the embodiment of the invention comprising the technical characteristics defined in the main claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation comprising the following steps:

- preparing a plurality of sensors able to determine orientation thereof in the space relative to a respective initial position thereof,

- associating said sensors with one or more parts of a user's body,

- providing instructions to the user to perform an exercise involving a movement with at least one of said plurality of the body parts,

- detecting, through the sensors, information concerning the movement of said one or more parts of a user's body from an initial position to a final position, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of:

- detecting, through the sensors, information regarding the movement of the user's body parts associated with the sensors but not involved in the performance of the exercise,

- processing all the information detected by the sensors and comparing the information received from the sensors associated to the at least one part of the body involved in the exercise, with the information received from the sensors associated with the user's body parts not involved with the exercise in order to determine the effectiveness of the exercise performed by the user.

Thanks to this solution it is possible to determine and monitor movements of body parts that are not directly involved in an exercise, that nevertheless identify and quantify the effectiveness of the exercise performed by the user.

Another aspect of the present invention provides for the step of determining the trunk compensation parameter comprising the steps of:

Another aspect of the present invention provides that said one or more body parts are comprised in at least one lower limb or in one upper limb of a user, and that the effectiveness of the exercise performed by the user is determined on the basis of one or more of the following parameters related to the movements performed by the user: trunk compensation, limb compensation, accuracy of movement, and fluidity of movement.

A further aspect of the present invention comprises the following steps:

- determining information concerning an initial angular orientation of the sensor associated with the user's trunk, - determining a final angular orientation of the sensor associated to the trunk following a predetermined time interval,

- determining a performance of a trunk compensation action by the user if the angular orientation of the sensor associated with the trunk detected following a predetermined time interval, is different from the initial angular orientation.

A further aspect of the present invention also provides for the steps of:

determining a value of the angular distance between an axis of the sensor associated with the trunk and a corresponding axis of the reference Cartesian system,

- comparing the values of the determined angular distance based on a respective predetermined maximum angular value,

- quantifying a trunk compensation action on the part of the user by determining the difference between one or more of said angular values of each axis and the respective predetermined maximum angular value.

Thanks to this solution, it is possible to determine whether the user has correctly performed the motor action using the upper or lower limbs required by the exercise, and the corresponding required muscles, and with which level of effectiveness.

A further aspect of the present invention provides for the step of determining the limb compensation comprising the steps of:

- detecting the ROM angular value of a limb joint not involved in the required exercise,

- determining a performance of a limb compensation action on the part of the user if the ROM angular value detected following a predetermined time interval, is different from a predetermined value.

Another aspect of the present invention also provides for the steps of:

- determining information concerning an angular value of the shoulder lifting through a sensor associated with a user's shoulder,

- identifying performance of an arm compensation action if the determined angular value of the shoulder lifting is different from zero.

Again, another aspect of the present invention provides for the step of determining the accuracy of movement to comprise the steps of:

- setting two ranges of values defining a pair of planes in the virtual space, each of said planes being defined by a relationship between a longitude angle and a latitude angle, - determining the latitude and longitude angular values, through the associated sensor of one or more parts of the user's body during the exercise,

- determining an accuracy of the movement if said determined latitude and longitude angular values are lower than the limit values of said ranges of values and thus included in the space defined by said pair of planes.

A further aspect of the present invention also provides for the steps of:

- determining the latitude and longitude angular values of one or more parts of the user's body,

- determining whether for each determined latitude value, the respective determined longitude value is greater than a first of said predetermined limit values or less than a second of said predetermined limit values,

- determining the accuracy error on the basis of the value of the longitude angle determined as being greater than a first of said predetermined limit values or less than a second of said predetermined limit values.

Thanks to this solution it is possible to accurately determine the deviation of the movement performed by the user relative to an ideal movement that has maximum effectiveness, and therefore to provide useful information for an assessment of the activity performed and for setting up subsequent exercises that improve the performance of the sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation activity performed by the user.

Another aspect of the present invention provides for the step of determining the movement fluidity parameter to comprise the steps of:

- determining an acceleration value of a sensor associated with a part of the user’s body in a first predetermined instant of time,

- determining an acceleration value of said sensor in a second predetermined instant of time,

- dividing the difference between the two acceleration values determined, by the value of the time interval between the first and second instant of time.

Thanks to this solution, important information can be collected about the way in which the user performs the exercise and that allows a more effective monitoring of his sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation activity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention shall become clearer from the following description, provided by way of example with reference to the appended figures wherein:

- figure 1 is a view of the totality of the reference systems associated with each part of the subject's body;

- figure 2 is a partial view of the reference systems associated with the upper right limb of the subject;

- figure 3 is an explanatory view for calculating the angles relative to the subject's humerus;

- figure 4 is an explanatory view for calculating the flexion angle of the subject's forearm; and

- figure 5 is an explanatory view for calculating the pronation angle of the subject's forearm.

BEST WAY TO ACTUATE THE INVENTION

The method and system for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention is based first of all on the consideration that in the performance of a motor action, the muscles are not activated individually, but in groups according to complex movement patterns. These schemes mainly consist of movements that combine flexion-extension, adduction, abduction and rotation between them.

To determine the effectiveness of a physiotherapy or sports habilitation activity, the system must therefore take into consideration the complexity of this context and the method must be able to assess the single parameters that compose it as well as the combination thereof.

The system for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention comprises a plurality of sensors particularly adapted to be associated with a plurality of parts of a user’s body. Each sensor is able to provide at the output, at each detection, a quaternion, which indicates the orientation thereof in the space relative to an initial orientation of the moment in which the sensors are switched on. Each sensor also comprises an electrical energy accumulator which is particularly adapted to allow the sensor to operate during the various steps of the method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation. Each sensor also comprises a wireless communication system, for example, but not limited to, implementing Bluetooth ^® technology, particularly adapted to send the data of the detections conducted during the operation thereof, for example the quaternions, and to receive data from a remote device.

The system for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention further comprises a base station to which the sensors can be connected. The base station can comprise a charging device, for example a charger for recharging the accumulators present inside the sensors. The base station can further comprise a wireless communication system, for example, but not limited to, implementing Bluetooth ^® technology, particularly adapted to receive the data of the detections conducted by sensors during the operation thereof, for example the quaternions, and to send data to the sensors and other remote devices.

According to a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention, the base station comprises a plurality of housings particularly adapted to accommodate the sensors. Each housing comprises one or more shaped walls so that the sensor can be housed inside it only according to a predetermined arrangement. Each housing further comprises one or more electrical contacts, for example metal plates, particularly adapted in use, to transfer electric current from the base station to respective electrical contacts associated with the sensors and connected to the accumulator present in the sensor when a sensor is arranged in one of such housings.

According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, provided by way of non limiting example, the one or more walls of each housing are shaped so that each sensor can be housed only according to an arrangement whereby the electrical contacts of the sensor rest on the electrical contacts of the base station and the sensor is arranged according to a predetermined orientation with respect to the base station.

The system for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention further comprises an electronic processor connected to the base station. The electronic processor comprises a data receiving module able to receive data and information from external devices, and in particular from sensors. The data receiving module is able to receive information from the sensors which indicates the orientation thereof in the space relative to the initial orientation of the moment in which the sensors are switched on.

The electronic processor is equipped with a virtual reality module, comprising a graphic processing unit able to display on a screen, with the aid of a graphic interface, the information received from the sensors through the base station and transform it into a dynamic digital representation (avatar), that is into a virtual image. In this way, each displacement of a part of the subject’s body to which a sensor is associated is displayed on the screen as a displacement of the corresponding part of the avatar’s body. Naturally, the graphic processing unit is also able to create a dynamic digital representation of a virtual environment within which the avatar performs its movements. The electronic processor comprises a processing and control unit able to process the data obtained from the sensors and compare them with predetermined data stored on a storage medium, that is on an internal storage unit. The stored data form a database of groups of quaternions which represent predetermined points in the space. A succession of points correlated between them represents a movement along a predetermined path and direction.

The stored points can be preliminarily determined and entered directly into the internal storage unit, or they can be sent to the receiving module of the processor by the sensors during a test of performance of a predetermined movement, considered optimal for the exercise to be performed. In this way it is possible to store inside the electronic processor the movement of each body part involved in the exercise that a user should replicate in order to complete the exercise without errors.

In use, the processing and control unit is able to compare the data coming from the sensors during the exercise performed by the user with the predetermined data stored, and to determine the distance between the position of the body region detected by the sensor and the predetermined position stored in the internal storage unit. If the distance is different from zero, the processing and control unit determines an error.

If the processing and control unit detects an error, the electronic processor is able to issue a sound or visual error signal, or to display, through the virtual reality module, the wrong movement and the movement performed by the user in order to highlight the determined error.

The method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention comprises a step of initialising the sensors. During this step the sensors are each inserted in a respective housing of the base station, and the base station is arranged in front of a screen, on which, as mentioned, the movements performed by the subject, detected by the sensors and transformed into movements of the avatar will be displayed. Since each housing of the base station allows only one predetermined orientation of the sensors with respect to the base station, this step ensures that at the beginning of the initialisation step the sensors are oriented always in the same way with respect to the game screen. Moreover, since the base station comprises a flat lower surface and is usually arranged on a flat surface, for example a table or a floor, this configuration allows obtaining an absolute reference on the vertical axis of each sensor. Subsequently during a recording step of the sensors on the base station, each sensor sends a group of data to the base station which in turn sends these data to the electronic processor, so as to determine the initial orientation of the sensors with respect to the screen.

Subsequently the sensors are associated with the user's body, and in particular are associated with predetermined parts of a user’s body. According to one of the possible embodiments of the system of the present invention, the user wears a piece of clothing provided with a plurality of housings, each in the vicinity of a body area thereof. For example, but not limited to, a housing is arranged at each forearm, a housing is arranged at each humerus, a housing is arranged at the trunk, a housing is arranged at the pelvis, a housing is arranged at each thigh, and a housing is arranged at each tibia of the user.

Similarly, it is possible to provide for housings associated with different body areas, for example at the ends of the upper and lower limbs, for example at the user's hands and/or feet.

Subsequently, the user places himself in front of the screen and each sensor sends a group of data, for example a quaternion, to the base station which in turn sends these data to the electronic processor, so as to determine the orientation of the user with respect to the screen and record the orientation of his limbs in the resting position.

These last two steps of the method of the present invention enable determining as accurately as possible the position of the user, and above all of a plurality of parts of the user's body, in the space with respect to the screen. As will become clearer below, these steps allow the image of the user processed by the electronic processor and displayed on the screen to coincide as much as possible with the effective position of the user, and above all with the effective position of a plurality of parts of the user's body. One of the main advantages of this feature is that the user will feel more involved in the performance of the motor actions that he is required to perform, and will therefore be more motivated to perform them correctly. Moreover, this greater coincidence between the real movements performed and the virtual movements displayed on the screen will allow the user to become more aware of the type of movement, and of any errors that he makes, which aspect greatly increases the results of a rehabilitative therapy and improves the effectiveness of the training for a specific athletic gesture.

The method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention therefore comprises a step in which the user is required to perform a sequence of predetermined motor actions involving one or more body parts, that is an exercise for sports habilitation and/or neuromotor rehabilitation. These requests may be addressed to the user according to any of the different methods. For example, but not limited to, a specific scenario can be created by means of the electronic processor and displayed on the screen, in which a predetermined activity linked to the scenario itself must be performed. The activity comprises specific motor sequences of one or more limbs that the user must perform, designed so that the performance of these sequences allows the deficits that have reduced his psychomotor skills to be recovered or compensated for.

The method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention therefore comprises a step of acquiring the quaternions provided by the sensors at each detection.

According to a succession of predetermined time intervals, each sensor sends a quaternion to the base station which in turn sends them to the electronic processor. The quaternions are then entered into a virtual reality simulation programme, installed for example on the electronic processor, in which it is possible to directly associate a quaternion to the rotation of a virtual object in the space. In this case, the virtual object is a portion of an avatar reproducing the user's anthropomorphic features and the quaternions coming from the sensors are directly associated with the orientation of corresponding parts of the avatar's body. In this way, the orientations of the avatar's body segments correspond exactly to those of the sensors, and therefore to the orientations of the parts of the user's body. Under these conditions, the rotations of the avatar's body segments are used to determine the user's joint angles and therefore to analyse the movements made by the user. According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the data coming from the sensors are read in a predetermined sequence that allows reconstructing the overall movement performed by the user and providing data that are essential for the assessment of the same movements.

In the virtual environment, absolute Cartesian axes are not used, since the avatar itself moves within the virtual environment, but the axes are determined with respect to an integral reference constituted by a part of the virtual body not controlled by the sensors and therefore virtually immobile.

As mentioned, each part of a user’s body whose movement is to be replicated and analysed is associated with a sensor. With particular reference to Figure 1 , each part of an avatar’s body whose movement is to be replicated is associated with a specific Cartesian reference system. In the illustrated example, the abdomen is taken as part of the virtual body not controlled by the sensors and therefore virtually immobile, and is associated with a set of cartesian axes X _vr , Yvr and Z _r .

In the reading sequence of the data coming from the sensors, the first joint angles that are measured are those related to the trunk, that is the data coming from the sensor associated with the user's chest. A trio of Cartesian axes Ot is associated with the trunk of the virtual body of the avatar, in which, for example, an axis Zt corresponds to a first horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented so as to coincide with a horizontal axis departing from the avatar’s navel. An axis Yt corresponds to a second vertical Cartesian axis, oriented so as to coincide with a vertical axis departing from the avatar's head. An axis Xt corresponds to a third Cartesian axis, oriented so as to coincide with a horizontal axis departing from the avatar's right arm.

In order to measure an anterior flexion movement of the trunk, the angle between the axis Zt of the trunk and the axis Yvr of the abdomen is determined. In order to measure a lateral flexion movement of the trunk, the angle between the axis Yt of the trunk and the axis XOb of the abdomen is determined. In order to measure a torsional movement of the trunk, the angle between the axis Xt of the trunk and the axis ZOb of the abdomen is determined.

The determination of the aforementioned angles is made by calculating the arcsine of the module of the projection of an axis on the other, that is of the scalar product thereof, so as to correctly measure the angle even when the two body segments are rotated one with respect to the other.

In the reading sequence of the data coming from the sensors, the further joint angles that are calculated are those relating to the upper and/or lower limbs, that is the data coming from the sensors associated with the user's upper and/or lower limbs.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a trio of Cartesian axes Oo is associated with the humerus of the avatar's virtual body, in which, for example, an axis Xo corresponds to a first horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented so as to coincide with an horizontal axis departing from the avatar's fingers, and arranged on a plane A corresponding to a horizontal plane having the axis Yt of the trunk as the normal, and therefore integral with the trunk itself, when the user is positioned like a "T", like the dummy in the figure. An axis Zt corresponds to a second horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented so as to be parallel to the axis Zt of the trunk, and therefore arranged on said plane A, and an axis Yt corresponds to a third vertical Cartesian axis, oriented so as to be parallel to the axis Yt of the trunk, when the user is positioned like a "T", like the dummy in the figure.

To determine the orientation of the humerus, a procedure similar to that previously described for the trunk is used, that is the relative angles are measured between the reference system of the virtual humerus and that of the virtual trunk.

As illustrated in Figure 3, in order to measure a lifting movement of an arm with respect to the horizontal plane in which the shoulders lie (angle a), the angle between the axis Xo and the plane A is determined. The angular measurement corresponds to the angle between the axis Xo and Xo', that is the projection of the axis Xo on said plane A.

When the arm is arranged in a horizontal position with respect to the trunk, that is when the axis Xo thereof is parallel to the axis Xt of the trunk, the angular measurement assumes a value equal to 0°, when the arm is arranged at the top, that is when the axis Xo is parallel and in the same direction of the vertical axis Yt, the angular measurement assumes a value equal to 90°, and when the arm is arranged at the bottom, that is when the axis Xo is parallel to Yt, but in an opposite direction, that is, when leaned along the side, the angular measurement assumes a value of -90°.

To measure a movement of lateral arrangement of the humerus (angle b), also called “flexion” or longitude, the same projection as the axis Xo of the arm on the plane A is used. The angle between the axis Xo' can therefore be determined, that is the projection of the axis Xo on the plane A and the axis lying on the same plane and joining the two shoulders, that is the axis Xt of the trunk.

In this case, when the arms are directed towards the outside, as illustrated in figure 1 , the angular measurement assumes a value equal to 0°, when the arms point forwards the angular measurement assumes a value equal to +90°, when the arms point backwards the angular measurement assumes a value of -90°.

The angular measurement of the third angle of rotation of the humerus, that is the rotation of the humerus around the axis Xo, is determined as the angle between the axis Zo, and the axis Xt, or the axis Yt of the trunk, depending on the orientation of the humerus.

To determine the joint angles of an elbow, that is to determine the angles representing the forearm orientation, the elbow flexion and the prone-supination of the forearm are determined, that is the rotation of the forearm on the main axis thereof. The procedure adopted is similar to that previously described for the trunk, that is the relative angles between a reference system of the virtual forearm and that of the virtual humerus are determined.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a trio of Cartesian axes Oa is associated with the forearm of the avatar's virtual body, in which, for example, an axis Xa corresponds to a first horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented so as to coincide with an horizontal axis departing from the avatar's fingers, and arranged on a plane A corresponding to a horizontal plane having the axis Yt of the trunk as the normal, and therefore integral with the trunk itself, when the user is positioned like a "T", like the dummy in the figure. An axis Za corresponds to a second horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented so as to be parallel to the axis Zt of the trunk, and therefore arranged on said plane A, when the user is positioned like a "T", like the dummy in the figure; and an axis Ya corresponds to a third vertical Cartesian axis, oriented so as to be parallel to the axis Yt of the trunk, when the user is positioned like a "T", like the dummy in the figure.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, to determine an elbow flexion movement, the angle between the axis Xa of the forearm and the axis Xo of the humerus is measured, without having to perform projection operations, since the constraints imposed by the elbow joint implies that the forearm flexes in one direction only.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, to determine a prone-supination movement of the forearm, the angle between the axis Za' is measured, that is the projection of the axis Za of the forearm onto the plane B, identified by the normal Xo of the humerus, and the axis Yo of the humerus, which lies on the plane B itself.

Similar procedures are applied to the lower limbs, in which, as illustrated in Figure 1 , a trio of Cartesian axes Ob is associated to the pelvis of the virtual body of the avatar, a trio of Cartesian axes Of is associated to the femur of the virtual body of the avatar, and a trio of Cartesian axes Otb is associated to the tibia of the virtual body of the avatar. Also in this case each trio of Cartesian axes Ob, Of, Otb comprises, for example, respective first axes Xb, Xf, Xtb each corresponding to a first horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented like the reference axis Xvr, respective second axes Zb, Zf, Ztb each corresponding to a horizontal Cartesian axis, oriented like the reference axis Zvr, and third axes Yb, Yf, Ytb each corresponding to a vertical Cartesian axis, oriented like the reference axis Yvr.

Although the description made so far was referred to anatomical parts of the limbs of a hemilate of a user, preferably even if not limitatively, to the right shoulder, to the right arm and to the right leg, a similar procedure and measurement is also performed for the limbs of the other hemilate.

The method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention also comprises a step of jerk calculation of the sensors, and, consequently, of the portions of the user’s body associated therewith. The term jerk is intended to indicate the value of the acceleration derivative relative to time, normally used to measure the variation of acceleration over time.

Jerks are used to assess the fluidity of the user's joint movements. In particular, the assessment is performed by dividing the difference between an acceleration value determined by a sensor associated to a part of the user’s body at a first predetermined instant of time and the acceleration value of the same sensor at a second predetermined instant of time, for the value of the time interval between the first and the second instant of time, thus calculating the acceleration derivative as an incremental ratio.

As said, in the performance of a motor action, and in particular in the performance of a motor action inserted in a neuromotor habilitation or rehabilitation activity, the muscles are not activated individually, but in groups according to complex movement patterns. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the motor action of a limb is not based solely on the correct spatial path that the limb travels but also on the way in which this path is run. Experiments conducted by the Owner have highlighted that the overall effectiveness of a neuromotor habilitation or rehabilitation activity can be measured, determined and verified through some fundamental characteristics of the physiotherapy movement: compensation, accuracy, fluidity, side asymmetry and delay in the gesture between the two limbs.

The term movement compensation, or compensation error, means the subject's tendency to make up for the lack of functionality of a given body region by using another one. A critical example in this sense is the trunk movement in place of the movement of an upper limb.

The term movement accuracy means the inverse of the percentage of deviation of the effective trajectory of the anatomical part relative to the ideal trajectory expected for that specific movement.

The term fluidity of movement means the absence of impulsive variations in the acceleration of the sensors that is the performance of a motor action according to a constant temporal rhythm and in the absence of a solution of continuity.

The term side asymnemetry means the imbalance and unleveling of the body on the frontal plane that is on the horizontal plane that is the performance of a motor action performed with a limb or with a hemilate or portion thereof according to different styles and modes in the order of a range of motion (ROM), Jerk, times and conducts.

The term movement delay between the two limbs means a temporal difference in the performance of a gesture or a motor action performed by a limb with respect to the contralateral one starting from an initial position. In other words, movement delay means the interval of time that, for various reasons, is added to the one that a limb needs to perform a requested or intentional bilateral gesture.

On the basis of these settings, the method for neuromotor habilitation and rehabilitation according to the present invention comprises a succession of steps (explained in more detail below) by which the following parameters are measured and assessed:

- reaching the objective;

- trunk compensation;

- limb compensation;

- movement accuracy; and - fluidity of movement.

The step of assessing the reaching of the objective varies depending on the proposed exercise. The objective may consist of a final position in the space that a body region, that is an entire limb or a portion of a limb, must reach within a predetermined time interval starting from an initial position in the space. In this case, the data receiving module receives the data coming from a sensor placed in the body region involved. The processing and control unit determines the position of the body region in the space at the end of the time interval, and compares it with the predetermined position stored in the internal storage unit. If the distance is zero the objective is considered as reached, otherwise an error is determined and the value of this distance is stored for a subsequent assessment step. In this case the electronic processor can issue a sound signal or a visual error signal.

If, instead, the objective consists of the performance of a movement within determined spatial limits, the assessment of reaching the objective is given by the difference between the interval of the performed movement with respect to the one requested. In the latter case, the accuracy in reaching the limit applies, and therefore both the fact of not reaching it and surpassing it is considered as an error.

Considering that for the vast majority, if not the totality, of the exercises for sports habilitation and neuromotor rehabilitation involving a limb, the user is required to stay as still as possible with the trunk, the assessment step of trunk compensation is fundamental to determine the correctness of the exercise performed by the user. This step is then performed simultaneously with a step for determining the movement of a limb.

An assessment step of the trunk compensation comprises a first step of determination of three sub-parameters, each parameter corresponding to a joint angle of the trunk. In this step the values of the joint angles of each axis Xt, Yt, Zt of the trunk are measured. To establish whether the user has performed a trunk compensation during an exercise in which only the movement of other body regions is expected, for example lower and/or upper limbs, information regarding an initial angular orientation Xti, Yti, Zti of the sensor associated with the user's trunk is determined, for example when the user is in an initial position before starting an exercise. Thus, information regarding a final angular orientation Xtf, Ytf, Ztf of the sensor associated with the trunk is determined after a predetermined time interval, for example when the user is in a final position and has finished the exercise, or in an intermediate control position. Then the angular orientation of the sensor in the initial position Xti, Yti, Zti and the angular orientation of the sensor in the final position Xtf, Ytf, Ztf, or intermediate one are compared. If the two orientations are different, a performance of a trunk compensation action by the user is identified, and the processing and control unit determines an error.

According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the step of identifying the trunk compensation can also comprise a further step of quantification of a trunk compensation error. This step comprises the steps of detecting the angular value of each axis Xt, Yt, Zt of the trunk reached in the single movement performed by the user, comparing each detected angular value with a respective predetermined maximum angular value Xtmax, Ytmax, Ztmax, determining the difference between one or more of said angular values of each axis Xt, Yt, Zt and the respective predetermined maximum angular value Xtmax, Ytmax, Ztmax.

An assessment step of the limb compensation, for example of an arm, comprises the determination of the angular ROM value of a joint of an arm not involved in the required exercise. For example, in the case of an elbow flexion exercise, the step comprises determining an angular value of the shoulder lifting, determining the performance of an arm compensation action if the determined angular value of the shoulder lifting is different from zero. For example, in the case of a shoulder movement exercise, the step comprises determining an elbow flexion angular value, determining the performance of an arm compensation action if the elbow flexion angular value is different from zero. For the reaching exercises this parameter is usually not taken into account, because both joints are used.

In more general terms the method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

- preparing a plurality of sensors able to determine orientation in the space thereof relative to a respective initial position thereof and sending data to the data receiving module of the electronic processor,

- associating a first group of said plurality of sensors to at least one upper limb and/or a lower limb of a user,

- associating a second sensor to the chest and/or to a joint of the user, determining an initial angular orientation (Xti, Yti, Zti) of the sensor associated to the user’s trunk and/or joint

- providing instructions to the user to perform an exercise involving a movement with at least one upper limb and/or lower limb,

- detecting, through the sensors, information concerning the movement of said upper limb and/or lower limb of the user's body from an initial position to a final position,

- determining the angular orientation (Xtf, Ytf, Ztf) of the sensor associated to the user's trunk and/or joint in the final position,

- processing the information detected by the sensors and comparing the final angular orientation (Xtf, Ytf, Ztf) of the sensor associated to the user's trunk and/or joint with the initial angular orientation (Xti, Yti, Zti) of the sensor associated to the user's trunk and/or joint to determine the effectiveness of the exercise performed by the user,

- determining an error if the final angular orientation (Xtf, Ytf, Ztf) of the sensor associated to the user's trunk and/or joint does not coincide with the initial angular orientation (Xti, Yti, Zti) of the sensor associated to the user's trunk and/or joint.

An assessment step of the movement accuracy is performed according to different parameters depending on the limb involved.

For the shoulder movement exercises, the assessment step of the movement accuracy comprises a step of setting a pair of vertical planes in the virtual space of the avatar that are parallel to each other and integral with the movement of the trunk. Said plans define a space within which the humerus must remain during the exercise. For the shoulder flexion exercises the planes are parallel to the sagittal plane of the body, for the shoulder abduction exercises the planes are parallel to the coronal one. Through a trigonometric function, the plane is defined by a relationship between the longitude angle and the latitude angle. For each possible latitude value there are two predetermined longitude limit values within which the shoulder must stay.

According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, the assessment step of the accuracy of the shoulder movement can comprise a further step of determining the angular latitude and longitude values of the humerus, to determine whether for each determined latitude value, the respective determined longitude value is greater than a first of said predetermined limit values or less than a second of said predetermined limit values, in order to determine the accuracy error based on the determined longitude angle value greater than a first of said predetermined limit values or less than a second of said predetermined limit values.

For the elbow flexion and contralateral reaching exercises this parameter is not used, therefore a maximum score is always assigned thereto.

To assess the accuracy in a homolateral reaching exercise, a virtual cylinder is created the central axis of which is the segment that joins the avatar's hand and the object to be collected. The radius of this cylinder is a preset distance. The accuracy error is measured as the distance of the avatar's hand from the outer surface of the cylinder that identifies the correct movement. The cylinder is created only once the avatar is close enough to the object to be reached.

Fluidity is assessed through the jerk. The lower the jerk value for a given exercise, the greater the fluidity of movement.

As will be clear to an expert technician in the field, to verify the performance and effectiveness of the exercise by the user in the manner described above, it is possible to determine the joint angles between two body regions by determining the angles between two sensors associated with two distinct body regions of the user. In this case, a first sensor is selected to determine a first Cartesian reference system, then the orientation of a second sensor in the space is calculated and compared with the Cartesian reference system of the first sensor. The operation is repeated with all the sensors associated to the body regions to be able to reconstruct the overall movement of the user, using the trios of coordinates detected by the sensors and not the avatar's trios.

All the details can be replaced by other technically-equivalent elements. Likewise, the materials used, and the contingent shapes and sizes, may be any according to the requirements but without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.