Chulalongkorn University researchers have completed trials of an AI and augmented reality rehabilitation system that lets patients with balance disorders train at home under remote specialist monitoring.
The TeleRehabilitation of Balance Clinical and Economic Decision Support System, or TeleRehaB DSS, is designed for patients at risk of falls. It analyses health and movement data to help healthcare professionals tailor rehabilitation programmes and monitor patients’ progress remotely.
Results of the project were presented during a recent event at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
The system combines depth cameras to track movement, wearable inertial measurement unit sensors, augmented reality headsets, heart-rate monitors, smart watches, smartphones and tablets. Data collected by the devices is processed using AI to support clinical decisions and rehabilitation planning.
Patients exercise at home with guidance from a virtual trainer, while medical teams can monitor their performance and adjust exercise programmes when necessary.
The project team said the approach could reduce travel burdens, improve continuity of care and support the quality of life of patients and their families.
Assoc Prof Dr Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, an auditory nerve and balance specialist who leads the project in Thailand, said the research focused on developing AR-based technology to treat dizziness through telemedicine.
Thailand was the only country outside Europe selected as a clinical testing site, with King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital serving as one of five study centres worldwide.
The other centres were University College London, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Medical Centre Freiburg in Germany and Madeira Health Service/IDEA in Portugal.
Thai elderly volunteers who took part in the trials responded positively to the technology, reporting clear exercise demonstrations and regular follow-ups by physical therapists who adjusted programmes to suit individual needs, Dr Nattawan said.
Test results indicated the technology could provide greater motivation for rehabilitation exercises than conventional self-directed training, although treatment success continued to depend largely on patients’ discipline and consistency, she said.
Funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Health programme, the project received pound 5.06 million (194 million baht) and ran from Dec 1, 2022, to Aug 31, 2026.
It builds on the EU’s Holobalance telerehabilitation platform and has entered a second phase aimed at making the equipment smaller and easier to use for a wider patient population.