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Engineering and occupational therapy students from the University of New Hampshire, as well as its group of therapeutic recreation specialists, Northeast Passage, are helping a former women’s high school basketball forward to get back into the game. In this case, using the Wii.

In 2006 Lindsey Kennell, a Dover High School senior, was involved in a severe car accident that left her without use of her legs or left arm and only minimal control of her right. She and her family later approached Northeast Passage in hopes of finding new ways to socialize and spend time with her friends in her post-accident state.

They submitted a list of activities that the teen was interested in gaining renewed access to. Among the suggestions were fishing and paintball. Ultimately Kennell’s top pick, playing the Wii from Nintendo, was accepted by the UNH electrical engineering department as their first challenge.

Chris Bancroft, an electrical engineering graduate student and the project’s coordinator, oversees the work of a four member team of undergraduates as they continue to develop alternative methods for controlling the console that will meet Kennell’s unique needs.

“Basically the project involves adapting current technology that a lot of people can use normally into something for someone with limited functionality,” said (free registration required) Bancroft in an interview with The New Hampshire, The University of New Hampshire student publication. “What we’re looking to do is restore some sense of normalcy so she can still do all the things that a lot of girls her age would be able to do.”

Enabling Kennell to operate the Wii required re-engineering of the Wii Remote. Because she lacks the ability to hold and direct the controller with either hand, the team has relocated the controller’s Infrared (IR) sensor to the nose-bridge of a pair of common safety glasses. She still has the ability to move her neck and head and will be able to direct the controller while wearing these glasses.

The proximity of a player to the television screen is related to the amount of movement necessary for operation of the Wii Remote. By situating herself closer to or further from the screen, Lindsey will be able to adjust the amount of effort that goes into gameplay, as well as the stress of the motion on her neck.

By mounting the A and B buttons of the Wii Remote on a flat surface, the team hopes she will be able to press them with her right hand. The possibility of a joystick equipped with Velcro as an alternative to the Wii Remote d-pad has been discussed by the project team, but has yet to be tested. Each team member works independently and the entire team meets weekly to monitor and discuss each other’s progress.

Electrical engineering majors Alex Evangelou and John Burdett physically make the alterations to the equipment. Occupational therapy major Angie Royer is on hand to monitor the equipment being designed by the group, making sure it meets Kennell’s needs and taking into consideration the amount of stress the adaptations may have on her body and mind. Nicole Muir, another cccupational therapy major also lends assistance when she can. Royer, Evangelou and Burdett will all receive university credit, but experience of the project holds far greater value beyond that.

Dr. John LaCourse, chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of New Hampshire, describes his role in the project as a kind of mentor to the students involved. “Electrical engineering students tend to get boxed in laboratories with computers and instruments,” he said. “In this particular case you’re working with a human being, a client. It’s the human element that a lot of the electrical engineers do not get and the occupational therapy students get the electrical engineering side or the computer engineering side so it’s a real multidisciplinary activity. A collaborative effort is what I call it.”

The main intention of the project is to offer experience to the students involved and provide Lindsey Kennell increased normalcy. She already uses a variety of adapted technologies in her day-to-day life that are commercially available to individuals with disabilities. “I’ve noticed that if I look more for certain stuff that I know I will be able to use, it’s out there,” Kennell said. “You just have to look for it.”

–Andrew would like to express his thanks to Rachel Gogan for telling him about this story.

3DiTeams is an interactive healthcare team training program created by advanced learning and serious games developer Virtual Heroes. Designed to improve team collaboration and reduce medical errors, it will be introduced to Duke University medical and nursing students in March of 2008.

The 3DiTeams training program is based on a health care team coordination curriculum called TeamSTEPPS, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. TeamSTEPPS is a teamwork system which aims to improve communication and other teamwork skills among healthcare professionals. It was developed with funding from the U.S. Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. Read More…

“Effective team coordination is critical for the safe delivery of healthcare. Development of these skills requires training and practice in an interactive team-based environment,” said Jeffrey Taekman, MD director of Human Simulation and Patient Safety at Duke Medical Center, via news release. “Virtual Heroes worked with us to create a high-fidelity, multi-user, real-world, hospital simulation in a video game setting that is based on real science.”

Virtual Heroes’ 3DiTeams aims to reach three specific goals. First, individuals study teamwork and communication concepts online through video vignettes. Secondly, it teaches collaboration between as many as 32 learners who can enter this virtual world together and share feedback. Finally, it allows a debriefing, letting students review their performance, observe their behaviours, reflect on their actions, and discuss the positive and negative interactions.

Using photo-realistic art and effects, the program is incorporated into training programs allowing multiple users to train for interventions together, from different computers across the Internet. An instructor can control and drive the virtual patient’s vital signs dynamically during each scenario creating new challenges for students.

The program uses Epic’s Unreal Engine, which powers popular video game titles like Gears of War, Mass Effect and of course, Unreal Tournament III. 3DiTeams can run on any network-connected computer and will soon be ported to the PlayStation Portable as Taekman announced in his blog early last month.

“We are excited to use our instructional design expertise, HumanSim technology and creative talent to help Duke University create this interactive training game to be used for hospital professionals,” said Virtual Heroes founder and CEO Jerry Heneghan.

Initially unveiled at the American Society of Anesthesiologists conference in October 2007, 3DiTeams is currently used to train residents and advanced practice nurses, and will be used to train Duke medical and nursing students starting this month.

The capabilities of 3DiTeams will also be presented this spring as part of the program during the fourth annual Games for Health conference and the Advanced Learning Technology Summit, both scheduled for May 2008.

IBM has launched a 3-D healthcare island in Second Life during the 2008 HIMSS Conference in Orlando, FL. Displaying IBM’s strategy for the future of health care, the island promotes the concept of health information exchange for patient care.

Presented at the 2008 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Conference, the Second Life island supports IBM’s vision for healthcare and takes the patient through various simulations of medical service. Designed with a futuristic atmosphere, players travel to island stations representing areas of service.

The patient’s home creates a private environment for basic testing and information input establishing the avatar’s personal health records. The patient also builds an electronic health record, following him across facilities.

In the laboratory, patients can receive clinical tests, such as blood work and radiology. The clinic delivers primary care, providing physical examinations and prescribing medications. The pharmacy station dispenses this medication, but also ensures the update of the patient’s personal health record. Scheduled appointments with specialists take place at the hospital.

Patients can chose to try an emergency room simulation, using a scripted control, taking them to a secure private area, for treatment. It again accesses the character’s personal health records to ensure proper treatment.

“We are pleased to offer our IBM Virtual Health Island as a tool for our healthcare customers and our worldwide sales force. The island allows each healthcare stakeholder to envision how the total system can be affected by intercession at each juncture of the healthcare delivery process,” said Dan Pelino, General Manager, IBM Global Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry in a press release .

Designed and built by an all-IBM-India team, the island serves as a demonstration of IBM’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) as described in IBM’s Healthcare 2015: Win-Win or Lose-Lose, A Portrait and a Path to Successful Transformation – a document describing a wounded healthcare industry.

 “As they [patients] move from one island station to the next, they experience how the development of a totally integrated and interoperable longitudinal Electronic Health Record is used within a highly secured network that allows access only by patient-authorized health systems and family members,” explains IBM, in a release.

“We believe that the use of our new virtual world provides an important, next-generation Internet-based resource to show how standards; business planning; the use of a secured, extensible and expandable architecture; HIE interoperability; and data use for healthcare analytics, quality, wellness and disease management are all helping to transform our industry,” said Pelino.

The healthcare island contains a Central Information Hub, where IBM explains its vision of the healthcare industry. In a virtual amphitheatre runs a slide show promoting IBM’s HIE architecture, emphasizing its positive impact on the healthcare industry.

Media giant Microsoft has announced a new partnership with the Companions in Courage Foundation. The charity builds interactive playrooms in hospitals throughout North America for children living with life-threatening illnesses. Through this new affiliation, the foundation will receive hundreds of Xbox 360 game kiosks.

Companions in Courage (CiC) currently have “Lion’s Den” playrooms in a few US hospitals, three of which received their very own Xbox game kiosk in April, 2008. Events were held at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, the Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California.

The Xbox fun centers come pre-loaded with a selection of E and E10+ rated games, Y-rated television programs and G-rated movies. But they also connect to a dedicated Xbox LIVE network, complete with headset and Vision Camera functions.

The network, one of the kiosks most attractive features, will allow kids to play with anyone on the Xbox live network. However, voice and text communications will be limited to the Lion’s Den network, in select hospitals.

“It’s extremely gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of these children and teens when they have a chance to break away from the normal hospital routine, and make new friends while playing video games,” said Cynthia Sparer, executive director of Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian.

“Xbox 360 offers young patients a fun escape through games, TV shows, movies and positive interactions with others over the Xbox LIVE network. These gaming stations are a perfect complement to the interactive playrooms,” said Pat LaFontaine, NHL Hall of Famer and CiC founder.

Created in 1997, the CiC has been focusing on fundraising for playrooms for the last five years. These help lessen the isolation of a hospital stay and create a friendlier environment for patients. Through innovative communications tools, CiC’s playrooms allow kids to connect to family and friends, while enjoying some much needed distractions. As well, these facilities devote almost half of their care to children of low-income families.

“Entertainment, creativity and personal connections can be important factors in alleviating some of the isolation and discomfort these children experience each day,” added LaFontaine, in a statement.

“Microsoft is committed to keeping kids entertained in a variety of ways within a safe gaming environment,” said Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division in a statement. “Partnering with Companions in Courage to offer children in hospitals a way to connect through something as universal as games, is a natural fit for the work we do. The goal for this program is to give these kids a chance to have some fun and just be kids,” Bach added.

Tabula Digita, the developers of the award-winning DimensionM math and algebra game has formed a partnership with Monsanto Fund and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to create a brand new curriculum-based science game for students.

Spearheaded and financed by the Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, the project aims to create an immersive video game that can teach standards-based, fundamental science concepts. In response to the growing demand for up-to-date curriculum materials that stimulate students to learn science, the software will include a multiplayer component allowing students to compete against one each other in local communities or around the globe.

“Three years ago, Monsanto Fund sponsored a study that showed that student interest in science drops at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels,” said Deborah Patterson, president of the Monsanto Fund in a news release. “The video game medium has demonstrated itself to be an increasingly powerful way to engage today’s digital generation…We are excited to be a part of a bold new initiative that could fundamentally rewrite the rules of student engagement.”

“The National Education Assessment of Education Progress 2005 test showed that by grade 12, only 18 percent of U.S. students scored at or above the proficient level in science,” said Ntiedo Etuk, chief executive officer of Tabula Digita.

“With our expertise in curriculum and our reach into countries around the world also interested in facilitating science education in young people, we can’t think of a more innovative approach and exciting venture to drive interest in and prepare our nearly 7 million fourth- and fifth-grade students for future success in this field. We are eager to get started,” said Don Knezek, chief executive officer of ISTE.

The content for the web-based games will be provided by the ISTE. Product creation and testing is set to start immediately, and will be followed by extensive market testing and education sector review. The software is expected to be released next year at ISTE’S annual National Education Computing Conference, in Washington DC, June 28-July 2, 2009.

With thousands of retirees in its railway workforce in recent years, Union Pacific has decided to modernize the way it trains new recruits. A comprehensive training tool using video game technology is helping trainees gain the skills needed to be confident and safe when working in rail yards.

“Video gamers, like those who play Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, feel right at home using Union Pacific’s latest training technology,” said Scott Hinckley, general director-safety and security, in a news release. “This is a natural training medium for employees who grew up in the video gaming environment and it enhances their extensive safety and operation training.”

Titled the Rail Operations Simulation program (ROS), the computer software teaches new employees how to manoeuvre locomotives in rail yards, operate “switches” that guide a rail car from one track to another and sort rail cars into different tracks by the rail car destination. It also helps employees develop the right decision-making skills needed in this complex work environment.

ROS simulates United Pacific’s Cheyenne Yard, a flat-switching yard used by employees throughout the system to learn basic switching operations and railroad terminology. The virtual training tool gives new employees a safe place to practice what they have learned in the classroom, before they work outside in the real-world rail yard.

The project launched in 2005 was created by United Pacific employees Jon Jensen, of the information technology group, and Steve Bakunas, of the rail operations group. The software development was done in collaboration with Michigan-based P.I. Engineering and was two years in the making.

The two partners have also developed two other training simulators dealing with incline or “hump” yards and remote control locomotive operations. United Pacific continues to look for ways to integrate virtual-reality technology to further assist employees

When over 5 million school children in the United States have vision problems, there is a clear need for prevention and diagnosis. However, most eye tests are expensive and difficult to conduct within schools, limiting access to the neediest of children.

It is with that need in mind that Vision Quest 20/20 has created a new eye screening method that is more efficient and affordable. Called Eye Spy 20/20, this test is a video game which adds an enjoyable dimension for kids who take it.

Eye Spy 20/20 has children wearing a pair of red and blue lenses, while playing a treasure hunt game. The coloured glasses allow the testing of each eye individually for vision problems like refractive error and amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.

“By measuring response time in the right eye versus the left eye, it gives us information as to whether one eye is underperforming or not,” said Dr. James W. O’Neil, a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Vision Quest 20/20 is a program developed by the Amblyopia Foundation of America with the goal of addressing eight important aspects of vision testing. Other traditional methods do not incorporate all of these aspects, which are needed to provide the best quality of service.

The limitations of typical eye testing methods are numerous. For example, manual screening requires trained personnel to administer the screening, which create logistical barriers for mass screenings. Photoscreening, on the other hand, does not check the child’s vision as it can only check for certain eye conditions which might impair vision and is also quite costly.

Full eye examinations are the most thorough but are not performed in schools, limiting access to those who cannot afford to visit an eye doctor. Estimates show the Eye Spy 20/20 game would cost about $5 per child, while professional eye exams can cost up to $75. Additionally, many kids with vision problems can still pass these conventional eye tests.

“We want to make them more reliable. We want to make them easier to administer. We want to reach more children,” said O’Neil.

“Automated testing ensures consistent and standardized test administration, eliminates the need for large networks of volunteers, minimizes costs, and facilitates data collection necessary for reporting test results and epidemiological analysis,” explains the Vision Quest 20/20 website. “By integrating recent advances in computer, internet, and video game technology, it is possible to solve our nation’s vision screening dilemma.”

Because the test is automated, minimal training is required to administer these vision screenings while errors based on subjective test interpretations are drastically reduced.

In a pilot project screening 600 kids at an elementary school, school nurse Lucy Samuels says the innovative test is successful.

“The [student] that I was most impressed about, he looked up in the sky and he said, ‘There’s an airplane, and I have never seen an airplane!’ It was so exciting when he got his glasses on,” said Samuels.

“It asks you questions, and you’re supposed to answer them, and if there’s a letter on the top, you have to match the letter on the bottom,” said 8-year-old Sasha, showing pleasure in what could have otherwise been a worrying eye exam.

A new survey by Entertainment for All, a consumer video game expo taking place from October 3-5, 2008 in Los Angeles and PoshMama.com, an online community exclusive to women around the world has uncovered some unusual gaming trends in women.

The survey results, gathered in September, find that more than one-third of women respondents play video games when they should be sleeping, if given an extra hour of free time at home. Many participants also said they played games in unusual circumstances such as: while on the phone (32%), while at work/in a meeting (20%), and while getting ready for work (12%).

“Playing video games is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for women, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, have some fun and even blow off some steam,” said Heather Weaver, Technology Contributor at PoshMama.com and author of GeekMomMashup.com, who helped create the survey.

“The surprising element, as revealed in our survey, is that it is actually keeping women up at night. This and the other results reveal that the traditional video game industry has fundamentally changed—and will continue to evolve—as more and more women take over the video game controls,” Weaver added, in a news release.

Further findings show that more than half of respondents (53%) have been late for meetings with friends or family due to playing games. Almost one-fifth (18.5%) said that video games have made them late for work or a meeting, and the same number (18.5%) reported that playing has led them to be late for a personal appointment, like a visit to the dentist or the doctor. Almost two-thirds of participants (64%) said that they play video games because they either enjoy it or they want to spend time with their friends and family.

“Video games are truly entertainment for all — from busy women to hard core game players,” said Mary Dolaher, Chief Executive Officer of IDG World Expo, which owns and operates E for All. “This survey shows that many women place great value and high priority on video games in their lives.”

Wow, what a great press release to wake up to. Benjamin Heckendorn (BenHeck) and eDimensional, Inc. have teamed up to offer the Access Controller, a mass-produced video game controller that only requires one hand to operate.

This modular controller features everything you’d find on a regular one, from analog sticks to shoulder buttons and a d-pad. Each module can be repositioned depending on gaming style or the user’s specific needs and it even comes with a built-in wrist guard.

The Access Controller’s concave bottom is designed to rest on a table or one’s leg and is also said to be well-balanced for optimal responsiveness. It also uses 2.4 GHz wireless technology for added convenience.

Michael Epstien, CEO of eDimensional stated “We could not be more pleased to team up once again with Ben to make his vision of a readily-available single-handed controller a reality. It has become a mission for our company and a truly rewarding experience that we are fortunate to be a part of.” Heckendorn and eDimensional previously teamed up to offer the AudioFX Pro 5+1 headset system.

The Access Controller is currently available for pre-order at the eDimensional website. It is expected to ship in August of this year. It supports PC, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 gaming and will sell for $129.95 USD.

That may sound pricey, but I’m sure it will help many gamers become a little more able to enjoy their favourite hobby with more ease and less frustration. Also, a portion of all proceeds from sales of the Access Controller will be donated to Children’s Hospital and Veteran Affairs Medical Centers.

I’ve already pre-ordered one of these to test out and review. Even though I’ve gotten used to two-handed gaming over the years, there certainly are times I wish I could do it with one hand without having to contort myself.

Let’s hope Microsoft and Nintendo allow these guys to produce controllers for their systems as well, the demand is obviously there and great enough for a company to invest in.