Laura Parra

"For patients that have lost the mobility of any of their limbs or that have never had it, rehabilitation is vital to improve the way in which they interact with their surroundings and other people. In this process, the patient must be motivated, especially when these are children with neuromotor problems given that they are usually distracted, get tired quickly or want to change activity during exercise.

By means of video games and due to a system which combines them with various sensors, this young lady has managed to make rehabilitation sessions entertaining and much more attractive to young people. This way, the patient is encouraged to develop therapy and rehabilitation periods are reduced.

Unlike other systems, the technology devised by Laura means that the therapist can assist the child during the exercises without interfering in their interaction with the video game. A user-friendly interface means that this system can allow the patient to focus on finishing the game in a satisfactory way and it reduces factors which can lead to attention loss.

Developed within the context of her degree thesis, the tool created by this young Colombian electronic engineer has already been implemented at the Integral Therapeutic Center of Neuro-Development ""BOBATH"" for patients.

This year, Laura and her team were awarded a prize at the regional gathering of the Appsco program and selected to present this project at the International TIC Andicom Conference held in Cartagena."