Orobics, the game to train people with a centrale facialis parese for the logopedia specialists from healthcare group Zonnehuis, has reached a new phase. A new studentteam has delivered the Orobics game and a Tensorflow neural network implementation for the game recognization of the faces.

Orobics is a user-friendly, serious game to practice speech-related oral motor skills on the iPad or tablet. Speech and language therapists can use this in the rehabilitation for patients with dysarthria (a speech disorder as a result of brain injury) and / or dysphagia (a chewing and swallowing disorder caused by brain injury). The main goal is to enhance the therapy loyalty through more fun while exercising. In that way the end results of the therapy will be better. According to the latest insights, the mouth exercises are focussed on speech as far as possible.

The objective of the exercises may include the following:

• Improving speech intelligibility, more mobility, coordination and speed in the lip, tongue and jaw movements
• Eating and drinking safely (reducing chewing and swallowing problems)
• Reducing asymmetry in the face

The game was an initiative from Christie Dijkstra, speech therapist from Healthcare group Zonnehuis in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The students Michiel Timmerman, Emilia Mioduszewska, Jakub Nowicki, Benjamin Meijer and Abdellatif Danba are students from the University of Applied Science Windesheim, also from Zwolle. This multidisciplinaire group from different Universities took part in a Minor Game Programming.
The main work was rebuilding parts of the excisting game Oromountain to an Android platform and implementing facial recognition using Tensorflow. This was there first neural network project. They had 10 weeks for this assignment.

Windesheim students have worked on Orobics in two different projects: the first as an Minor Serious Gaming project where the game concept (Oromountain), the minigames (Orodance, Dogball and Fruit Fiesta), art and first programming was done. In the second the facial recognition and Android version for some minigames where implemented. 

More information
University of Applied Science Windesheim

With 20.300 students, thousands of other study participants and more than 1.800 members of staff at sites in Zwolle and Almere, Windesheim is one of the biggest universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. 

At Windesheim we only offer accredited bachelor courses, cycle 1. We are a University of Applied Sciences. In the Netherlands, there are two types of universities. It is a community organisation, within which people acquire, share and utilise expertise together. At Windesheim, you will be challenged and empowered to develop into a responsible, principled and confident professional. We have signed the code of conduct.

Contact: Bertrand Weegenaar, lecturer

Zonnehuisgroep IJssel-Vecht

Zonnehuisgroep IJssel-Vecht ( ZGIJV ) specializes in the care of elderly people with different types of dementia (including Alzheimer’s) and/or problems in physical, psychological or social functioning. We believe that a human being is valuable in every stage of life. We provide care with an emphasis on preserving one’s own decisions and choices. We want everyone to feel  at home and be treated as a unique person.

Contact: Christie Dijkstra, speech therapist