This summer, I worked with Dr. Michelle Johnson at the Rehabilitative Robotics Laboratory which aims to develop affordable therapeutic robots for the neurorehabilitation of those affected by non-traumatic brain injuries. My project was concerned with analyzing the feasibility and adjustments required for designing a robotic/mechatronic-based escape room that provides both cognitive and motor rehabilitative tasks for post-stroke individuals. The idea was proposed as a way to combine group-based and game-based therapies together in a form that makes rehabilitation fun and motivational.

My primary task revolved around conducting an in-depth literature review, doing statistical analysis on survey data, and formulating design recommendations for rehabilitative escape rooms within a research paper. The literature review was composed of papers from many fields of study including psychology, stroke, and robotics which tested my ability to synthesize sources into a logical and cohesive proposal. From this, I learned about the various conditions that afflict stroke patients and the metrics used to assess their abilities in addition to the types of experimental therapies that are used to ameliorate their impairments. With this knowledge in mind, I analyzed survey data from healthy adults on their experiences within escape rooms, trying to see if there were any significant differences in either time pressure, team-oriented work, cognitive and motor challenges, or motivation in regards to respondent age (due to a majority of stroke occurring above the age of 65). Using knowledge learned from biostatistics, I conducted statistical analyses between younger and older adults and, surprisingly, found very few significant differences between the two which did not warrant special consideration in regards to escape room design aside from the cognitive and motor issues already faced by stroke individuals. Nevertheless, the survey data still provided useful information regarding escape rooms that would pose problems to a population of stroke patients such as escape rooms’ focus on cognitively demanding rather than physically demanding puzzles. From there, I outline a set of four design recommendations focused on difficulty adjustment, collaboration and division of tasks, screening, and motivational elements that would adjust escape rooms to better serve a rehabilitative purpose. Additionally, I described scenarios with specific methods of implementation to further detail ways of incorporating these recommendations.

In all, this summer has served as a wonderful way of experiencing research for the first time and has laid a solid foundation for my continued pursuits in research. Although it was unfortunate that everything was done remotely, this taught me that remote research can still provide valued experience and connection with others in the lab, an important aspect of collaborative research. Additionally, it did not serve as a large barrier to me honing my skills in evaluating and synthesizing academic papers, conducting statistical analyses through python, or being a part of the design process. In the future, I aim to further develop these skills and continue to find ways of combining my educational and research goals.