Technology in Service of Healing

Healing Horizons represents some of the most meaningful work I’ve been part of—using VR to help people recover from traumatic brain injuries.

The Challenge

TBI rehabilitation is grueling. Patients need repetitive exercises for cognitive and motor recovery, but traditional therapy can be boring and demoralizing. VR offers immersion, but standard VR games aren’t designed for people with cognitive impairments.

Our Adaptive Approach

Healing Horizons adapts in real-time based on:

• Task performance metrics
• Physiological stress indicators
• Fatigue patterns
• User preferences

If a patient is struggling, the system eases difficulty. If they’re in flow, it gradually challenges them more. The goal: optimal therapeutic challenge without frustration.

Design Considerations

Working with clinical advisors, we learned that rehabilitation isn’t just about the exercises—it’s about maintaining hope and motivation. We designed environments that were calming but engaging, challenging but achievable.

Impact

While this was a research prototype presented at SIGGRAPH Asia XR, we’ve had conversations with rehabilitation centers interested in deploying adaptive VR systems. Seeing research potentially translate to patient benefit is deeply satisfying.

Personal Note

This project reminded me that the best technology is often invisible—it supports human goals without calling attention to itself. In rehabilitation, the VR should fade away; what matters is the patient’s progress and sense of accomplishment.

Read the full paper: ACM