Milo, Kinnect and the future of therapy
I previously wrote about the “Milo & Kate” demo for Kinect (at that time “Project Natal”) for the XBOX 360. The possibility of using a program like this for therapy seems obvious for teaching empathy or helping autistic individuals practice picking up on body language or facial cues.
Here is a recently released video from TED showing off the development in this software over the last year.
Frankly, the “gamey” elements are the most distracting part of the video. I don’t see …
Video: No Barriers USA
I just came across this amazing organization on Twitter. No Barriers USA is doing some amazing things to help individuals overcome their disabilities.
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Roger Ebert’s new voice
I just have to post this. I know many of you will probably have already seen this, either on Oprah, or around the web. But, as a huge fan of the way technology can make a difference in disabled* individual’s lives, I just think this is so cool and amazing.
*Of course, I am not trying to say that Roger Ebert is disabled. Even the loss of speech has not kept him down and he certainly has continued to be as prolific as ever.
Bionic hand commercially available
While it does not seem as useful as Dean Kamen’s Luke arm, this prosthetic arm is commercially available today.
iBot discontinued but motorized wheelchair technology marches on
I was surprised to read in Popular Science that Dean Kamen’s iBot (an electric, motorized wheelchair which goes from four wheels to two wheels lifting the rider in the process, and can climb stairs,) has been discontinued due to costs. Neither insurance companies, nor Medicaid, wanted to foot the bill for this expensive, although amazing, power chair.
If you are lucky enough to have an iBot, HiZook notes that service will continue on the iBot until 2013.
Here is a commercial for the now departed iBot:
How cool was that! Check out the SavetheIBot campaign to try to …
Game or therapy?
Check out this demo for a Xbox Project Natal game called “Milo & Kate.”
Can you imagine the therapeutic value of this? From phobia therapies like the one below, to helping people with social phobias, to even more complex therapies such as helping individuals with Asperger’s syndrome pick up on social cues, vocal inflections and body language. The possibilities are amazing!
It also opens the possibility of long distance and even multiple provider therapies: the patient interacts with a single avatar …
What to do for a person having a seizure (video)
One of my favorite shows on the web, GeekBrief.tv, now GeekBrief with Cali Lewis, interviewed actor Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman on “Heroes”). Greg’s son, Jake, has epilepsy and Greg talks about what to do for someone during a seizure and what not to do (don’t put something into the person’s mouth!).
It’s a great video! Greg talks about seizures starting at 3:50.
