Amin Amini Maghsoud Bigy and Dr Konstantinos Banitsas with the Kinect modified to help Parkinson's patients overcome Freezing of Gait
Most will be familiar with the telltale shaking of Parkinson's
disease, but that isn't the only symptom sufferers must endure. They must also contend with what is known as Freezing of Gait (FOG), where the sufferer's muscles can freeze
mid-stride, making them feel like their feet are glued to the ground or
resulting in them falling over. Researchers at Brunel University London have
hacked a Kinect sensor to overcome this.
Research has previously shown that a dot or lines projected onto
the ground in front of Parkinson's sufferers can provide a visual cue that helps
them "unfreeze" the muscles and devices have been developed to take
advantage of this. However, these currently take the form of devices
incorporate motion sensing technology that need to be worn.
Now Dr Konstantinos Banitsas and PhD
candidate Amin Amini Maghsoud Bigy have taken a different approach. They have hacked Microsoft's
Kinect motion sensor, teaming it with a ceiling-mounted laser to create a
system that can be installed into a patient's home. When the system detects a
FOG incident, the ceiling laser projects lines onto the floor to counter the muscle
freezing. Additionally, if the person falls, the system will automatically
trigger a video call for help.
"By mounting the laser guide marker
on the ceiling it can provide the visual clues in any direction," says Dr Banitsas. "And it is only
activated when a FOG incident occurs instead of having to be worn
constantly."
Dr Banitsas adds that system has passed
the proof of concept stage and he and Bigy are set to begin patient trials
shortly.
Source: Brunel University London
http://www.gizmag.com/kinect-parkinsons-fog/37373/
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