Wii Balance Board Gives $18,000 Medical Device a Run For Its Money

Gizmodo highlights a very cool repurposing effort for the Wii's Balance Board accessory. Rather than the specialized force platforms used to quantify patients' ability to balance after a trauma like stroke, doctors at the University of Melbourne thought that a Balance Board might serve as well. Says the article: "When doctors disassembled the board, they found the accelerometers and strain gauges to be of 'excellent' quality. 'I was shocked given the price: it was an extremely impressive strain gauge set-up.'" Games controllers you'd expect to be durable and at least fairly accurate; what's surprising is just how much comparable, purpose-built devices cost. In this case, the Balance Board (just under $100) was compared favorably with a test platform that costs just a shade less than $18,000.

Comments

Obligatory

[Naurgrim]

Ah, I see you have the machine that goes ping. This is my favorite. You see we lease it back from the company we sold it to and that way it comes under the monthly current budget and not the capital account.

Re:What have we here?

[tenverras]

The Wii Balance Board is the Canada of medical devices. Cheap, but just as effective as its expensive counterparts

Re:"Not for ________ use"

[BronsCon]

Sony had it in a $500 camcorder for a few months before being forced to take it off the market because people were using it to film their neighbors screwing... through their neighbor's walls...

So you'll still need to pony up a few grand for that, sorry.

Re:"Not for ________ use"

[lewko]

This would be more important in a nuclear reactor and not so big a deal to a hobbyist.

Depends what his hobby was. Muhahahahah....

Re:Surfy

[VJ42]

"I bet you the Defense Department could find lots of savings by sourcing their parts from Nintendo, too!"

Until the system fails because it wasn't built the have the shit beaten out of it in daily use. Military gear resembles professional construction equipment and is usually made in smaller quantities. While COTS solutions are attractive, they don't always suit the tasking.

Nintendo's systems are designed to resist small children; a force far more dangerous than anything the military can come up with ;p