Lifeboat Foundation

First, you could see virtual reality. Then, you were able to hear and feel virtual reality.

Now, you can “smell” virtual reality?

3D model allows German investigators to ‘walk through’ death camp and ‘see’ what Nazi suspects would have known about the killings.

In an astonishing breakthrough, patients left paralysed by severe spinal cord injuries have recovered the ability to move their legs after training with an exoskeleton linked to their brain – with one even able to walk using two crutches.

Scientists developed the Walk Again Project, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, thinking that they could enable paraplegics to move about using the exoskeleton controlled by their thoughts. But they were surprised to discover that during the training, the eight patients all started to regain the sense of touch and movement below the injury to their spine. It was previously thought that the nerves in seven of the patients’ spines had been completely severed.

But the researchers now believe that a few nerves survived and these were reactivated by the training, which may have rewired circuits in the brain. Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, they said: “While patient one was initially not even able to stand using braces when placed in an orthostatic posture, after 10 months of training the same patient became capable of walking using a walker, braces and the assistance of one therapist. “At this stage, this patient became capable of producing voluntary leg movements mimicking walking, while suspended overground.

Continue reading “Paralysed patient walks again thanks to virtual reality and brain-computer interfaces” »

This vision-tracking tech will let you navigate virtual reality using only your eyes.

Given the demands of the modern world, many people find solace and relaxation when they disconnect from their smart phones, computers and email. But what if you could improve your overall happiness simply by playing games on your phone? In a recent interview, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Happify Ofer Leidner said gamification can make people “happier”, and that the development of technology that improves well-being is only just getting beginning.

Image credit: x-bility.com

It should be noted that not just any game on your phone can help one live a happier, healthier life. Instead, Happify and other comparable platforms use science-based games to drive behavior and to help people learn skills for generally improving their outlook on life. It’s still gaming and gamification, but gaming done with a meaningful purpose.

“After telling us a little bit about themselves, we recommend a certain track, which is a topic around which (Happify users) want to build those skills for greater emotional fitness. We then prescribe for them a set of activities and interventions that have been transformed into an interactive app,” Leidner said. “You can do them on your phone, when you’re commuting, or you can do it at night. What we’re doing, in terms of the measurement of improved outcome, is we’re actually measuring them based on scientific event reports.”

Continue reading “Can Technology Help Fine-Tune Your Happiness?” »

Qualcomm’s design for a virtual-reality headset that’s totally untethered sets it apart from the rest of the market.

Nice.

Michael Hsu, CEO of SuperD, delivers a keynote speech on September 5, 2016 during the company’s products launch event held in Beijing. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Shenzhen-based technology company SuperD Technology recently hosted a conference in Beijing, announcing the launch of the world’s first full display handset — a smartphone that integrates 2D, 3D and virtual reality (VR) content display in one piece.

Continue reading “Chinese visual tech company launches world’s first 3D+VR handset” »

I’m developing the prototype of Telexistence Robot by using Virtual Reality and Robotics technology.

I cannot wait to see how we can use VR for obtaining additional insights on other central nervous system diseases and disorders such as MS, Dystonia, GBM, etc.

Medical applications for VR continue to spread. Just a few weeks ago I wrote about how Paraplegics can learn to walk again with help from Virtual Reality. Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and the Siberian State Medical University, in Russia, believe that it could be the future of diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Methods to diagnosis many of these conditions is accomplished by visual assessment in most parts of Russia. The brain scanning technology such as a CAT scan or MRI to confirm the diagnosis is only available in a handful of cities. The VR system being developed would be cheap and easy to roll out across the country.

Continue reading “Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosed with help from Virtual Reality” »