Using a Video Game to Help Kids Walk
From: Nerdist - 04/19/2011
By: Perry Michael Simon

Some mechanical engineering students and game designers at Rice University,
working in conjunction with Shriners Hospital for Children - Houston’s Motion
Analysis Laboratory, have taken a bunch of Wii Balance boards and created a
system to help children with certain disabilities — cerebral palsy, spina
bifida, amputations — to walk. They used a series of five Wii Balance boards,
some handrails, a computer, and some game software that has the kids battle
monsters with their steps, and the result is the Equiliberator, a game system
that’s theraputic as well as fun. 

2011 RESNA Student Design Competition - National Top Five Finalist

Read the entire article and view a video (3:17) at:
http://www.nerdist.com/2011/04/using-a-video-game-to-help-kids-walk/

Links:
The Equiliberator: A Balance Therapy Entertainment System
http://aac-rerc.psu.edu/wordpressmu/RESNA-SDC/2011/04/27/the-equiliberator-a-balance-therapy-entertainment-system-rice-university/

Linked Wii Balance Boards help children learn balance skills
http://www.gizmag.com/wii-based-equiliberator-builds-balance-skills/18414/

The Equiliberator: Balance Therapy Made Fun
http://www.ablegamers.com/Hardware-News/the-equiliberator-balance-therapy-made-fun.html

Equiliberators
http://oedk.rice.edu/Content/Members/MemberPublicProfile.aspx?pageId=1063096&memberId=4836222

Submitted by Barbara Lempert