Developing new technologies to help families like the Beaubiens
A recently developed technology that Holland Bloorview wants to create more of through fundraising is a game called Bootle Blast, designed by Dr. Elaine Biddiss, head of the Possibility Engineering and Research Lab at the hospital.
The game follows the movements of children as they control a character, with the goal of capturing Bootles in a robot city. There is a 3D camera system that tracks up to 25 joints in the body, which then mimics the movement in the game, allowing them to get the physiotherapy they need while staying engaged.
“When we started this project a long time ago, motion tracking video games like the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect were just coming out, and therapists as well as parents and kids all agreed that this would be great. I want to do therapy like this,” said Dr. Biddiss.
So they took the original idea of recreation and transformed it into a therapeutic version that can be adapted to the needs of people of all levels, including children like Alee.
“I like it because I have to do about 10 to 20 hours of therapy a week, and it’s not always the most fun, but Bootle Blast, it’s fun because it’s a game, but I’m still doing my therapy,” she said. “Without it my hands and feet get stiffer and I have to get Botox injections for it, but Bootle Blast makes me want it because it’s really fun and makes the therapy more enjoyable.”
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