This all helps specifically with freezing of gait.
Microsoft's Kinect peripheral never really took off in any meaningful way, having been discontinued as a result, but Brunel University London has actually used the device to help people with Parkinson's disease, putting it to use once more.
"Built using Microsoft's now-obsolete Kinect peripheral, the system monitors for and detects freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's patients," the press release explains. "When an occurrence is observed a laser casts visual cues on the floor according to the patient's location, helping them release their gait and improve their movement."
This system is explained in more depth in the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, and is supported by Parkinson's UK, with the hope being to develop it further so that it can be installed in the homes of patients. What's more is that prototypes have only cost £137 to build, excluding the PC that controls it.
"Freezing of gait is one of the most disabling symptoms in people with Parkinson's, affecting its sufferers by impacting their gait performance and locomotion," said Dr Amin Amini, a researcher from Brunel's Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, who lead the research. "It is an episodic phenomenon that prevents the initiation or continuation of a patient's locomotion, and it may lead to a loss of independence or frequent falls."
The system works by monitoring a patient's leg movements in the home, specifically looking at the angle of the patient's knee as well as their head direction, which means increased accuracy and less false positives.
"The main reason that Microsoft Kinect was used is that it doesn't require the patients to attach any sensors to their bodies in order for the system to detect FOGs," said Dr Amini. "The Kinect can unobtrusively detect and track subjects' body movements without any attachments, which makes it an ideal device for such applications."
Once the freezing of gait is detected, or FOG, the system casts two laser lines on the floor, which are perpendicular to the direction the patient is facing, before using a visual cue to stimulate movement in the patient and help relieve their gait.
"We tested the system's capabilities and detection success rate by inviting healthy participants during the prototype phase, as well as inviting real Parkinson's disease patients to a focus group, where we demonstrated our system in action," said Dr Amini.
Were you a fan of the Kinect when it was in use in games?
https://www.gamereactor.eu/news/660913/The+Kinect+used+to+help+Parkinsons+patients/
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