Second Life Therapeutic Applications

Module 3 Assignment - Second Life^TM

Second Life is entirely new to me, and I must admit I am fascinated by its potential.

 
An article caught my attention;

Brain-Computer Interface for Disabled People to Control Second Life With Thought Available Commercially Next Year

     An Austrian medical engineering firm called G. Tec has developed a brain- computer interface for disabled people to navigate within a 3D world in Second Life.  What is amazing is that the interface is controlled by the user’s thoughts.

     At this point the system is slower than a mouse driven system. There are both chatting and searching commands. But according to the researchers, the user appears normal in Second Life even if completely paralyzed. The system allows the disable the ability to experience traveling to different location and flying while being totally housebound.

     Guger see other medical applications as well; as a tool to evaluate if a patient is still engaged and for the measurement of performance. The system allows for access to a wider range of personal contacts. This system may allow greater communication and counseling benefits to the patients with autistic and ADHD tendencies. Interactive games may be the key to increased therapeutic communications with these patients.         

     For those interested a more in depth article can be found at the New Scientist; Control Your Home Alone with Thought.

     On the other hand; while development is progressing, the use of Second Life will apparently take time to become a familiar educational and therapeutic tool.

     I have asked around work to see if people that I know are acquainted with Second Life. So far the results have been 50/50. But of those that are familiar with Second Life, most just had a passing experience with Second life. So far the folks in my hospital setting are only vaguely familiar with this technology as patient education or therapeutic tool.   

     “ There is also a considerable turn-over in the popularly of media. Web-rings, one of the earliest forms of social networking on the web, have largely fallen out of favor, although a few health-related rings survive (www.webringcom). Conversely, the Second Life virtual environment, created in 2003, was only beginning by 2009 to make a significant impact in health-related areas such as patient education, health promotion, training and so on (Beard, Wilson, Morra and Keelan, 2009).” 

References

Graham-Rowe, D. (2011). Control your home alone with thought. New Scientist.

July 5 2011 Issue 2819

Guger, C. (2011) G Tec 

Robinson, L. (2010). Understanding Healthcare Information. Facet Publishing, London, UK.