The movements of patients with mobility-limiting conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can be tracked and give health care providers better data on the patient’s condition.
Stat: Hollywood Motion Capture Technology Finds A New Role In Hospital Rehab
Motion capture technology is a staple of blockbuster films. You may have seen A-listers like Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey in behind-the-scenes bonus features dressed in what looks like spandex suits covered in ping-pong balls. Those small spheres are actually reflective markers, which are tracked by infrared cameras during an actor’s performance. The data from those cameras is then used by Hollywood visual effects artists to give computer-generated characters realistic movement. (Hogan, 2/12)
In other technology news —
The Wall Street Journal: Advances In Health Care, Technology Open New Job Prospects For The Disabled
When Virginia Jacko began losing her eyesight in her 40s, she left her job as a senior financial executive at a university and enrolled in a vocational-rehabilitation program. Using new technology, she was soon able to use a spreadsheet, read a financial statement and even pick out matching clothes. Fifteen years later, she is chief executive of the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, which runs the program. Ms. Jacko’s experience shows how advances in technology and health care, as well as changes in the labor market, have created new work opportunities for disabled and older workers. People are living longer, healthier lives. Automation has made many tasks at work easier. (Davidson, 2/13)
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