Agility: A VR Game-Based Clinical Assessment for Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease progressively erodes both motor and cognitive ease, yet traditional assessments capture only brief clinic visits—missing the subtle, day-to-day progress that defines real quality of life. Agility is a seated, hands-first virtual reality chess game that turns routine play into clinically meaningful data. Each move activates a short, gesture-based challenge modeled on MDS-UPDRS Part III hand items—finger tapping, pronation–supination, movement smoothness, and postural steadiness. As players interact, the system unobtrusively collects fine-grained telemetry on dexterity, tremor amplitude, and control precision, translating them into clear, clinician-readable summaries. Developed through Unity XR with an emphasis on accessibility and comfort for older adults, Agility merges evidence-based motor assessment with the motivational power of play. The talk outlines its design pipeline, adaptive difficulty logic, and telemetry modeling, as well as findings from early peer usability studies. Attendees will gain insight into how serious-game principles, sensor analytics, and human-centered design can converge to create engaging digital health tools that support both self-efficacy and clinical interpretation. Ultimately, Agility reframes VR gaming as a quiet, empowering form of assessment—one that restores confidence in motion while deepening understanding of Parkinson’s in everyday life.