Video Games as Physical Therapy?

Belinda Lange knows how to have some serious fun. A physiotherapist by training, Lange leads a group at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), which develops games to help people recovering from a stroke or other injuries.

At first, the researchers wanted to adapt existing games built around physical movement — the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Kinect. But they quickly discovered those games weren’t quite right for the rehab set. First, they didn’t give enough data, explains Lange, a senior research associate at the institute.

They also weren’t sufficiently accommodating to people who couldn’t dance, jump or bend far. “Often, the fun parts of the game would only be unlocked after a series of other levels, which our patients often couldn’t achieve,” she says. Read Full Article