2021 is going out with a BANG!
Two New Activities
- CatchMaster™
- Teach&Trace™
Extensive Game Updates
- Bombs in PirateCatcher™
- Visual clutter in BurtFollowMe™
- Simplified difficulty levels
for all games
CatchMaster™
A new type of game with distinct, but connected, play modes. Patients will be engaged by the straightforward yet challenging gameplay (tailored to their needs) and will be given in-game rewards for their efforts.
Butterfly Catching
View in shoulder adduction/abduction + flexion/extension movement mode
In Catch mode, the player controls a net that is used to catch flying targets. The player's objective is to catch the targets before they leave the screen. Net size, target speed, target direction, and complexity of target paths can be adjusted.
The movements of the patients arm in all modes focus on adduction/abduction. In the menu, settings can swap whether they use flexion/extension or protraction/retraction as well.
The game mechanics are easy to grasp, but can be ramped up to provide a real challenge - good for all levels of patients. Furthermore, to add visual excitement, rare butterflies will occasionally appear.
View in shoulder adduction/abduction + protraction/retraction movement mode
Shop for Decorations and Nets
Decorating a garden
At the end of an activity the player is rewarded with 'money' that may be used in Shop mode. The patient may decorate a garden with objects bought with their hard-earned cash. They may also buy differently colored nets to use in Catch mode. Money and bought objects are saved between play sessions. This includes playing the game in a playlist, and in any game mode. Money is not earned if playing CatchMaster™ as a baseline game.
Buying new nets to use in Catch mode
On its own, earning money is rewarding since most patients will have a positive association with becoming “richer”. Plus, being able to buy things with their monetary rewards supports the intrinsic motivation of gaining riches.
Decorating the garden can also provide a relaxing moment to reward a patient’s hard work. If they are more action-oriented, by choosing a more interesting net color they can still see rewards in their typical play session. Buying nets for Catch mode gives patients a sense of ownership over the activity, since they can use a special net that they have chosen.
Teach&Trace™
Passive Training with Joint Isolation
The therapist creates paths in space by moving the robot in the desired pattern, using the patient’s physical limitations as feedback. The patient is shown a visual display of the path on-screen, and is guided through the path by the robot. Multiple paths may be saved per patient, and settings may be adjusted to change how often the path is repeated.
This activity is a helpful warmup for patients, as their arm is being externally moved in a repeatable way that the brain can predict and try to mimic. Unlike manual manipulation by the therapist, the robot does not get tired and will move the patient’s arm in the exact same path every time. Other examples of use for this activity are training patients to accomplish activities of daily living such as brushing teeth, eating, drinking, and brushing hair.
Record a path for your patient by moving their arm
Launch the saved path
Patient is guided through path by the robot - this can occur for a set number of repetitions, or it can loop until manually stopped
Game Updates
Bombs in PirateCatcher™
Instead of running on autopilot,patients now have to make a choice: Is the falling object a gem to collect, or a bomb to avoid?
Word Options and Visual Clutter in BurtFollowMe™
Based on feedback from OTs and SLPs, we have added visual confusion and language options for added complexity to one of our core games.
Improved Difficulty Settings Across the board
All games have 5 levels that gradually ramp up the difficulty. The aspects of the game that are changed are clearly shown on the menu, so there is no mystery in what you are asking your patient to do. In addition, all games have a custom level where therapists can tweak those settings as desired if the preset levels do not fit a patient’s needs.
This update is crucial for simplifying a patient’s therapy plan, while retaining the flexibility that sets our games apart.
BurtFollowMe™ at level 1
BurtFollowMe™ at level 5