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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.
When the Wii Fit first came out... there were several modes of operation that the experts thought should be in the software. Nintendo's first response was to say such people were welcome to develop their own games, then when realizing they were so simple to program the $20 new disk called "Wii Fit Plus" (which now replaces the original disk in the new package for new users) was Nintendo's make good.
I guess we were paying $99 for the QC sticker they put on it before they sent it off through the supply system.
Again, you're paying for the sticker and the insurance that covers the lawsuit should that piece break and irradiate an entire shipyard.