What does CAREN stand for?

The CAREN project stands for the development of Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environments, operating in Real-Time domain. It concerns the development of a virtual reality system in which the balance behaviour of humans can be tested in a variety of reproducible conditions. The major objective of the project is to enhance (early) diagnostic and therapeutic activities in a range of medical fields by decreasing the time needed for successful rehabilitation programs. The enhancements are defined by allowing a medical expert team the opportunity to view and analyse balance and coordination movement patterns as they happen in a controlled real-time environment. This will enable the expert panel to immediately intervene and correct the patient’s behaviour.

CAREN is a system, which consists of a combination of a Motion Platform, a 3D video projection, Motion Capture of the patient and a Graphics workstation. Most European rehabilitation clinics use specialized therapeutic programs, based on cause related classifications of movement disorders, but there is no network communicative protocol available to exchange medical experiences on used equipment and procedures. This has inspired MOTEK to develop an interactive virtual Real-Time computer driven applied tool-platform, which can provide patients with means of almost unlimited exploratory behaviours. At the same time provide medical experts accurate measurement tools for monitoring progress in the rehabilitation process.

This technology is put into practice for rehabilitation medicine by MOTEK BV in cooperation with:

• the Department of Medical Physiology of the University of Groningen (RUG)
• the Department of Bio mechanics of the University of Twente
• the Department of Rehabilitation of the Academical Medical Centre of Amsterdam (AMC)
• the Rehabilitation Centre of Amsterdam (RCA)
• the Centre of Orthopedic Technique in Amsterdam (COTA)
• the St. Maartens Clinic in Nijmegen, the Technical University of Delft
• Silicon Graphics Computer Systems
• IBM

CAREN was partially financed by:

• the European Commission
• the Platform High Power Computing Networks (HPCN).