Serious games developer Red Hill Studios has developed a series of games designed specifically to help Parkinson's patients using physical therapy. Red Hill is working with the UCSF School of Nursing on the software, which uses Microsoft's Kinect. The software offers users specific motions and gestures that have been proven effective in improving the gait and balance of those suffering from the disease.
"These games demonstrate the value of combining innovative health game designers with a top flight clinical team," said Bob Hone, creative director of Red Hill Studios. "Creating games that are both fun to play and provide concrete medical benefits takes a special kind of team. We are much more than the sum of our parts."
From Red Hill's web site:
"Patients play the games by performing movements that have been shown to be beneficial for improving balance in people with PD. The patients' movements are captured by custom hardware and then processed by custom software developed by Red Hill Studios. These games will provide people with PD an immersive and interesting world in which to practice gait and balance exercises."
Hopefully this software suite can serve as another tool for doctors to use in slowing the progression of the neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of Americans. Red Hill delivered a demonstration of its Kinect-based serious game at the Games For Health event in Boston today.
You can learn more about Red Hill Studios here.
Source: IndustryGamers
