Barron Associates Completes Pilot Testing of Smart Toy System for Children with Cerebral Palsy

The Motivating Occupational Virtual Experiences In Therapy for kids (MOVE-IT) SBIR program supports intensive rehabilitation for pediatric hemiplegia through smart toy-enabled games that inspire high-dosage, task-directed arm movements. The completed SBIR Phase I research program produced a prototype smart toy, two therapy mini-games, human kinematics tracking software, and validated motor performance metrics. A pilot study was conducted involving 10 children with hemiplegia. Statistical analysis confirms the primary Phase I hypothesis that MOVE-IT generated metrics have high criterion validity with gold-standard measures of UE motor function. Patient and parent interviews strongly support the technology’s acceptance and usability.