Technology for the differently abled

Nowadays, people with physical disabilities have a hard time keeping up with the times, as their limitations will not allow them to have access to certain services and technologies, including computers and the internet. Luckily, a group of Chilean students came up with a solution for them, so that disabilities will not limit their access to technology and, therefore, to social integration. 

Last year, a group of three computer science students from Federico Santa Maria Technical University developed LifewareIntegra, a program that allows handicapped people to use computers. They combined a head device with sensors, that are able to pick up brain activity, and software, that interprets this information, to let the user have full access to a computer and its applications through a set of tools developed by its creators. The head device was originally created for gaming purposes, but these students had the vision to give it a whole new purpose.

LifewareIntegra was tried for the first time on Jenifer Astorga, a 26-year-old woman who lives with quadriplegia. The test was a huge success and she seemed really happy afterwards. If the software is further developed, it might one day help a lot of other people like Jenifer to be rehabilitated and get a job.

If you read this post, you win a hundred points!

Gamification is a barely new concept that is changing the way people do activities these days. It can be defined as the the application of game elements and mechanics and digital game design techniques to non-game problems or contexts. It is a current trend among software developers who want to make their programs more engaging and businesses who want to increase the productivity among their workers.

Basic techniques of gamification motivate certain desired behaviors by taking advantage of the human tendency to engage in gaming, as it distracts people from what they are actually doing. These techniques are known to most internet users, as they are already present in very famous sites such as Facebook and Foursquare. They are more simple than anyone could think: winning points, obtaining badges, leveling up, climbing up “leader boards”, using virtual currency, showing progress bars, fulfilling quest, having avatars, etc. Adding these features to websites and programs, where there may be tasks considered otherwise rather dull or stressing, makes them not only endurable, but also enjoyable.

One important example of the brilliant use of gamification is the educational website khanacademy.org. Salman Khan, the site creator, incorporated game-like characteristics to make it more attractive for a younger learner audience. Students can win points and badges by doing exercises and watching videos and progress bars tell them how good their performance is at a given task.

You got to the end of this article, so you are now a hundred points richer. One can only wonder what else can be made into a game by just adding points to it. Is everything considered boring going to be “gamified” some day?

Motion capture in the creation of "Just Dance"

Many are the technological techniques that have been developed for several industries. One of them is the motion capture. This process, also known as “mocap” consists of recording the movement of an object or people; this recording is used later to create digital versions of what was recorded. Film, animation and games industry are pioneers using this technique—although it is a very useful tool in sports, medicine, robotics, even in military issues.

During last 3 years, a video game developer, Ubisoft, has used this technological tool in an “unusual” way: record movements for you to follow them. In 2009 a new game for the Wii was released by this French developer. The game named Just Dance consists of mimic a silhouette of a dancer, which is created through motion capture, using the standard Wii remote. This game featured a wide range of very-known songs, each one with a different choreography. This, combined with the benefits of an active and “healthy” game, made the game a complete success; in fact, there are 2 sequels already released and a fourth one coming in October.

This revolutionary idea was achieved thanks to LiveMove, software used specifically for Wii games whose special characteristic is that it can record very fast dance steps and movements without losing the quality of the motion—other techniques create motions that look too “computerized”. Because of this, imitating the steps involves less effort and players feel more comfortable playing the game.

Motion capture in video games industry is, perhaps, making a change developing games that may contribute to health rather than only entertaining. Could you as gamers prefer these games instead of the ordinary ones? You can check the link below (a video from a song of Just Dance 3) and think about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VevE4v065sA