The Floor-Board for Wii

 floor-board.com/default.aspx

Image from: floor-board.com


"The Floor-Board when used with the Nintendo Wii gaming console, Wii games, and Wii Balance Board^TM allows wheelchair and able body players to participate in exercises and games associated with the system."

To use the Floor Board, "set up a Wii system with Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus or any game compatible for use with the Nintendo balance board. Set the Floor-Board on top of your balance board, then roll or step onto the Floor-Board and begin play. There's no need to remove the Floor-Board when switching between wheelchair and able-bodied players".

The inventor, Dave Rountree, came to Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada after a spinal cord injury. He was motivated to figure out how to use the Nintendo Balance Board as a way for people in wheelchairs to access Nintendo Wii games. Dave has created and tested several prototypes of his Floor Board with good results.

The Floor Board is now available for $125 plus tax and shipping.

To see videos of the Floor Board in action: floor-board.com/Video.aspx

Canadian Exergaming Research Centre

Image from: Canadian Exergaming
Research Centre

Exergaming leverages the video game environment familiar to children by adding an element of exercise. Exergames use video screen technologies that require physical participation in contrast to traditional sedentary video games.
“The Canadian Exergaming Research Centre (CERC) features games such as i-Dance (a wireless, multi-player system) Wii Fit and Exerboards. The Centre is a collaboration between the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology, Mount Royal College and the Foundations for the Future school. An innovative research project is hoping to discover whether the new generation of ‘exergames’ can really impact on youth fitness, and perhaps help with the growing incidence of obesity among Canadian youth.”


www.ucalgary.ca/exergaming/

Health & Social Benefits of Virtual Exercise Games in Adolescents with CP

This study, called the CP Fit ‘n Fun Project, is being conducted at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto with researchers there, at the University of Toronto and elsewhere.

The goal is to see if exercise video games (exergames) will help engage teenagers with CP to increase their fitness and help with socializing.

For more information, link to pdf: www.neurodevnet.ca/sites/default/files/neurodevnet/download/Fehlings-Graham_OppInit2010_WebInfo_1.pdf

Fun and Games: Virtual Reality Turns the Work of Rehab into Play

Image from: http://www.oandp.com/

By Miki Fairley
Published in the May 2010 issue of The OandP EDGE, Your Resource for Orthotics & Prosthetics Information
http://www.oandp.com/edge/
This article reports on researching the applications of video gaming as rehabilitation tools. Three examples are given: adults with stroke, children with cerebral palsy and amputees.
As with any physical or occupational therapy, video game playing can help to show progress by stimulating the brain's natural tendency to repair itself (plasticity), and by muscle strengthening. Video games, when not too frustrating for patients, typically hold the player’s attention longer than traditional therapies. These two factors together may contribute to better functional outcomes. The author reports on improvements in hand function, speed and grip strength. Evidence strength is not rated.

Ablegamers



Image from http://www.ablegamers.com/

 "The AbleGamers Foundation is dedicated to bring greater accessibility in the digital entertainment space so that people with disabilities can gain a greater quality of life, and develop a rich social life that gaming can bring."
This site is for gamers with disabilities: people who play popular games but need alternate access to control them.
www.ablegamers.com/

Just games

Up to now, this blog has been for pediatric therapists interested in virtual rehabilitation. Topics included Wii-hab, virtual reality and remote use of the videoconference for rehabilitation (telerehabilitation, teleassessment, telepractice).

From now on: News on clinical game-based rehabilitation.
The focus is narrowing to video games such as Nintendo, Kinect, Move and multi-touch surfaces that are based on virtual or augmented reality or alternate ways of access and used clinically by therapists for children in rehabilitation.

Information on telerehabilitation can be found at:
http://sh-elearn.atutor.ca/go.php/32/content.php/cid/752/
http://sh-elearn.atutor.ca/go.php/32/content.php/cid/753/

Gaming for Therapists



Image from: http://www.exergamefitness.com/



As the realm of virtual reality and its application to rehabilitation develops, new language evolves, too.
Exergaming applies to videogames that require movement and may provide exercise. The means of interaction is not a mouse, keyboard or joystick, but some thing that needs greater weight shifting, body or limb movement.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exergaming

Here’s an article that reviews current applications of virtual reality for rehabilitation, and explores ‘exergaming’ as a way to increase energy expenditure.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CGAQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fplattsburghcas1.com%2FSpectrum%2FJournal%2520of%2520Diabetes%2520Science%2520and%2520Technology%2520-%2520Dr.%2520Rizzo%2C%2520in%2520press.pdf&ei=6tkITdvINIb0tgPc6a2ZDg&usg=AFQjCNE5gnEkDsJhcBNWpaVQcSyJoxTiug