THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rehabilitation after a stroke is often a gruelling journey. Beyond the physical trauma, patients face long recovery timelines requiring endless, repetitive motions. Compounding this challenge is a severe shortage of certified physiotherapists and the high cost of hospital-bound care, which leads many patients to abandon therapy mid-way.
A groundbreaking collaboration between Chennai-based immersive-technology firm Skillveri and Thiruvananthapuram’s Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) aims to rewrite this narrative using virtual reality (VR).
The partnership, which tapped into Skillveri’s industrial movement-tracking expertise, has translated into XTend, a software as a medical device designed specifically for upper-limb rehabilitation following a stroke. Born out of IIT Madras in 2012, Skillveri secured the exclusive commercialisation licence from SCTIMST following a technology transfer earlier this year.
The device itself is a simple, lightweight headgear, a standalone VR headset equipped with built-in optical cameras that track hand movements naturally without requiring any bulky external sensors or wired attachments. Because of its compact form factor, physiotherapists can easily carry the headgear in a small bag to a patient’s home.
Unlike conventional therapy, XTend disguises repetitive exercises as interactive games. Wearing the headgear, a patient might find themselves virtually sitting on Kovalam beach, popping balloons arranged precisely to trigger required shoulder, arm, or finger movements.
“The repetitive actions are part of immersive virtual-reality or mixed-reality games,” said Sabarinath Nair, founder and CEO of Skillveri. “The visual elements aid body movements, by acting as subconscious triggers of hand movements. The movements happen naturally, without the patient making a conscious effort.”
The technology builds on the concept of hand-eye-mind coordination, developed with SCTIMST’s neurology department led by Dr P N Sylaja, who also serves as the Asia/Oceania member on the board of the World Stroke Organization (WSO). “There is brain damage in the case of a stroke patient. We have to retrain the brain on movements that you have somewhat forgotten,” Sabarinath explained. “We are the technology experts translating the medical knowledge into a gamified equivalent – retraining the brain to do these movements once more.”
While patients can physically operate the device, it is currently deployed in a therapist-supervised mode, where a physiotherapist controls exercise parameters via a smartphone app. Future iterations aim to introduce a fully independent self-mode for home use once patients complete initial guided phases.
Currently awaiting final ethics and regulatory approvals for clinical trials, Skillveri is prioritising affordability for the Indian market. The company is also developing a budget-friendly mobile app version that pairs standard Android phones with home televisions with the aim of further expanding reach.
The Rehabilitation Gap
Disability & Economic Impact: Lack of timely post-stroke rehabilitation causes lifelong mobility issues, severely compromising employment chances and self-confidence during a patient’s most productive years (ages 55-60), SCTIMST found.
Treatment Shortfall: Over 70% of stroke survivors seek care at government hospitals, where shortages of occupational therapists and high costs limit long-term therap
Skillveri
An immersive technology company founded out of IIT Madras in 2012
Well-established in vocational skill simulations (welding, spray painting, HVAC/AC repair) for mechanical and manufacturing sectors
Operates as a leading installed building simulator provider with sales primarily across India, Europe, and the United States
Founder & CEO Sabarinath Nair, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, completed his BTech in computer science from Kerala University