Rehabilitation, preventive care and universal design: the electronic musical instrument shoe

บทคัดย่อ

We developed a new electronic musical instrument shoe, the Otokutsu, which is a shoe to play music with the foot. We used universal design to develop it that makes sounds and flashes. Everyone can easily play it and enjoy the fun. We developed a special score for it that can be effortlessly played, even by beginners or those who cannot read music. Furthermore, we developed the optical navigation system. It enables enjoyable rehabilitation exercises for the foot. We evaluated it with a number of day-care managers in senior programs; the instrument is effective for rehabilitation exercises and elementary schools. Enabling regaining a sense of the foot after fixation of the foot is effective rehabilitation. Compared with selfresistance training with a towel or tube, rehabilitation with it can be continued for a long time. It can also reduce the possibility of injury for the physically unimpaired because using the instrument strengthens foot muscles and improves flexibility. Wearers can adjust the position and strength of the switch in accordance with rehabilitation, or preventive care, and degree of difficulty. Awareness of the results enables us to improve and motivates us to continue exercising for rehabilitation or preventive care. It enables continuing rehabilitation or preventive care, while making the exercising enjoyable.