From Rehab to Play, From Play to Progress.
What We Are Building
ReNUSHU is a student team from Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, collaborating with Magnes AG, the creator of the NuShu smart shoes.
Our goal is simple but ambitious:
to turn physical therapy from a repetitive medical routine into a motivating, game-driven journey that patients want to return to.
Our games—collectively called Camp Movewell—combine playful design, clinical insight, and real-time movement sensing to support meaningful therapeutic progress.
Introducing Camp Movewell
Camp Movewell is a series of mini-games powered by the NuShu smart shoes.
Each mini-game is designed around a real physical therapy exercise: heel raises, reactive stepping, balance shifts, and more.
Instead of counting reps or following tedious routines, patients interact with a playful world where their own movement drives the experience.
Camp Movewell transforms PT into a space of exploration, challenge, and encouragement—while still keeping clinical usefulness at its core.
Why NuShu Smart Shoes Matter
NuShu shoes are not an accessory to our project—they are the foundation that makes this kind of therapy possible.
Each shoe contains an accelerometer, gyroscope, and Magnes AG’s proprietary gait estimation algorithms, allowing us to sense how a person steps, shifts weight, raises their heel, or balances in real time.
This unlocks three things:
1. Natural, Intuitive Movement Input
Patients don’t need cameras, remotes, or hand controllers.
They simply move—just like real PT exercises require.
2. Clinically Meaningful Feedback
Therapists gain insight into movement quality, consistency, reaction timing, and improvement over time.
3. A New Design Space for Rehabilitation
For designers, NuShu allows the creation of games that feel playful but remain biomechanically honest—a blend rarely achievable with conventional sensors.
Without NuShu, Camp Movewell would just be a game.
With NuShu, it becomes rehabilitation with purpose.
How Our Game Creates Value
Physical
Our activities are grounded in evidence-based PT exercises that support strength, balance, and mobility.
Cognitive
Gameplay challenges memory, reaction time, and focus—promoting whole-body and mind engagement.
Together, these elements create Therapeutic Progress, helping patients and therapists see improvement over time and turning recovery into a visible, motivating journey.
Why Our Approach Matters
Most commercial wearables stop at collecting data.
ReNUSHU goes a step further.
By combining NuShu’s precise gait tracking with Progress + Fun + Haptics, we create experiences that don’t just measure movement—they encourage it.
Our approach strengthens carry-over from clinic to daily life by:
- Providing playful motivation
- Offering real-time, meaningful feedback
- Encouraging proper movement patterns
- Helping patients reconnect with their own progress
We’re designing tools that make therapy feel less like a chore and more like a journey forward.
A Team Bridging Design and Practice
As an interdisciplinary ETC team, we apply game design methodology to rehabilitation, informed by:
- Academic research
- Physical therapy expertise
- Iterative testing with real patients and clinicians
This dual perspective allows us to balance clinical practicality with creative engagement, ensuring that our design is both meaningful for patients and valuable for professionals.
By blending playful design with therapeutic intent, ReNUSHU not only explores what rehabilitation could look like—it helps shape a future where therapy feels motivating, hopeful, and connected.