Rehabilitation support apparatus, method therefor, and program

A rehabilitation support apparatus for recovering one of cognitive impairment and a higher brain dysfunction of a user, comprising:

• a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user;
• a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and at least two target objects to be visually recognized by the user and displays the avatar object and the at least two target objects on a display, wherein the rehabilitation action of the user is capable of moving the avatar object relative to the target objects so as to enable the user to bring the avatar object into proximity with the target objects;
• a notifier that notifies a generation position, in the three-dimensional virtual space, of the at least two target objects;
• a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the at least two target objects after a lapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the at least two target objects, and
• a task table that sets a task requiring the user to move the avatar object into proximity with a first of the at least two target objects, wherein success in performance of the task is facilitated if, after the lapse of time, the user remembers the generation position of the first target object notified by the notifier;
• wherein to control the cognitive load to be given to the user, said cognitive load controller causes the at least two target objects to simultaneously exist in the three-dimensional virtual space at different positions in the display.

A rehabilitation support apparatus for recovering one of cognitive impairment and a higher brain dysfunction of a user, comprising:

• a detector that detects a three-dimensional rehabilitation action of the user;
• a display controller that generates, in a three-dimensional virtual space, an avatar object that moves in accordance with the detected rehabilitation action and a target object to be visually recognized by the user and displays the avatar object and the target object on a display, wherein the rehabilitation action of the user is capable of moving the avatar object relative to the target object so as to enable the user to bring the avatar object into proximity with the target object;
• a notifier that notifies a generation position, in the three-dimensional virtual space, of the target object;
• a cognitive load controller that gives a cognitive load to the user by generating the target object after a lapse of a predetermined time from the notification of the generation position of the target object, and
• a task table that sets a task requiring the user to move the avatar object into proximity with the target object, wherein success in performance of the task is facilitated if, after the lapse of time, the user remembers the generation position of the target object notified by the notifier;
• wherein to control the cognitive load to be given to the user, said cognitive load controller changes at least a part of a background image other than the target object to be displayed on the display along with time.