The Challenge
When a small team of researchers at the BCIT Technology Centre identified a need to quantify and document patient progress for Prosthetics and Orthotics. They initiated a three year project titled Exploration and validation of the use of the Wii Fit and other gaming technology as a quantitative clinical tool in the Prosthetics and Orthotics field.
My Role
As a designer I worked with a team to conduct a variety of research with patients and healthcare professionals including co-creation sessions, ethnographic probes, and interviews. We developed our research into a bedside app prototype.
A clinical tool for Prosthetics
Strides seeks to give prosthetists and orthoticists easy to use tools to improve amputee clinical care. The use of readily available and inexpensive gaming technology that will allow the collection of clinical measurements should address cost issues. Initial research has shown that tools designed with ease of use as a primary objective can lead to an increase in their uptake. Making use of these techniques and delivering a user interface that clinicians will want to use will likely result in a product that could provide patients with better care than in the past. The team was looking at the Wii Balance Board because it showed promise as a starting point for a cheaper alternative to some of the solutions out there now.
Check out the full project brief (PDF)
Copyright © 2005 Johannes Schut