Rehabilitation as Empowerment: The Role of Advanced Technologies Giuseppe RIVA a,b , Andrea GAGGIOLI a,b a Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab., Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy b ICE-NET Lab., Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy Abstract. Rehabilitation is placing increasing emphasis on the construct of empowerment as the final goal of any treatment approach. This reflects a shift in focus from deficits and dependence to assets and independence. According to this approach, rehabilitation should aim to improve the quality of the life of the individual by means of effective support to his/her activity and interaction. Here we suggest that advanced technologies can play a significant role in this process. By enhancing the experienced level of “Presence” - the non-mediated perception of successfully transforming intentions into action - these emerging technologies can foster optimal experiences (Flow) and support the empowerment process. Finally, we describe the “NeuroVR” system (http://www.neurovr.org ) as an example of how advanced technologies can be used to support Presence and Flow in the rehabilitation process. Keywords. Empowerment, Rehabilitation, Presence, Virtual Reality, NeuroVR Introduction The field of rehabilitation is placing increasing emphasis on the construct of empowerment as a critical element of any treatment strategy. This construct integrates perceptions of personal control, participation with others to achieve goals and an awareness of the factors that hinder or enhance one’s efforts to exert control in one's life [1, 2]. The emphasis on empowerment reflects a critical shift in rehabilitation: from a focus on deficits and dependence toward an emphasis on assets and independence. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization [3] defines disability as a “condition in which people are temporarily or definitively unable to perform an activity in the correct manner and/or at a level generally considered ‘normal’ for the human being.” In this definition the focus is not on deficits but on assets: a person is disabled when he/she is not able to fully exploit his/her relationship with everyday contexts [4]. In this chapter we suggest that the new emerging technologies discussed in the book – with particular reference to robotics and virtual reality - have the right features for improving the rehabilitation process. These technologies can improve the quality of life of the disabled individual through an effective support of his/her activity and interaction [5].