Physical Therapy Just Got Fun

Physical therapy exercises are crucial for properly recovering and healing from an injury. They are especially important for seniors who may have a longer road of recovery or need to regain mobility in order to take care of themselves. To help encourage patients to keep up with their exercises, startup BoBo Balance (opens in a new tab) – led in part by company Co-founder and CMO and Technion alumnus Yair Agami – has transformed physical therapy into an interactive video game that allows users to earn points as they complete their regimen.

Users can perform their exercises using a wearable movement sensor or on a balance board that connects to a smartphone app, which then projects the game. The wearer plays the game using their body as the controller and the app tracks performance statistics that help record each person’s progress and improvements toward their individual strength or rehabilitation goals.

Gamifying the physical therapy experience helps encourage the user to work harder without feeling like they are doing the same, mundane exercises. Because the game is fun, it provides an incentive to perform the exercises each day. It also grants scores for each use, which motivates users to spend more time on the exercises in hopes of achieving a higher score.

BoBo Balance hopes to expand their product to be an aid in elderly fall prevention to help hinder future injuries. Their products are currently sold across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.