Thesis defense Amal BOUATROUS

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability, often followed by sequelae such as upper limb hemiparesis, which has a negative impact on people's independence in their daily activities. Conventional rehabilitation is necessary to regain lost functionality, but can be monotonous. Virtual reality (VR) offers an attractive, motivating and effective solution, meeting the necessary requirements for successful rehabilitation. The aim of this thesis is to design and develop a virtual environment for personalized functional rehabilitation of the upper limbs after stroke. More specifically, we have focused on the functional rehabilitation of the hand using VR-based serious games. Thus, two serious games aimed at improving coarse and fine hand movements were set up by simulating two clinical exercises, and using the Leap Motion motion sensor. Incorporating video game elements to motivate patients and personalize difficulty according to their motor skills. Finally, we implemented an approach to dynamically adapt the difficulty of the games. Close collaboration with therapists and patients was maintained during the design process, in order to meet clinical specifications. The system was evaluated in terms of measurement accuracy on healthy individuals, which proved satisfactory. In addition, a subjective clinical evaluation with real patients showed that the system was accepted and motivating, reinforcing patients' commitment to their rehabilitation.