The goal of this SBIR Phase I project is to plan, design, build, and test a true 3D stereo mixed-reality (MR) system prototype that will enhance cognitive functions in TBI soldiers by inducing neuroplasticity through interaction with an enriched environment. TBI, the signature wound of the Iraq War, is the most common combat-related injury and results in disturbances in attention, memory loss, and executive function. Comprehensive-holistic neuropsychological rehabilitation approaches are effective for remediation of attention deficits and memory impairments, but extremely costly. Finding alternative, cost-effective ways to rehabilitate soldiers would help save the military and government an enormous amount of money. The Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC) will work with The Media Convergence Lab (MCL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a TBI expert consultant to create a haptics-enhanced true 3D stereo mixed reality system designed to stimulate and improve cognitive functions in warfighters that suffer from TBI with the end goal of helping them return to service.
Keywords: Traumatic Brain Injury, Brain Damage, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Neuroplasticity, Environmental Enrichment, Haptics
