3D and kids: we just don’t know

One of the more interesting issues over the past year has been around 3D at consumer level. Whether it’s 3D TVs or handheld 3D gaming, there’s a significantly ramped up debate on potential issues around the technologies. An example is this story covering Nintendo’s warning on excessive use of its 3DS handheld gaming device. The company has rightly been transparent, even if only to cover future potential legal liabilities, in its desire to frame the level of use of such devices.

There’s exactly one fact in the debate over the impact of 3D on kids and their development: we do not know in any way, shape or form what that impact is. An educated guess would be that excessive use could have a harmful impact and that in well-structured settings some use of 3D environments could actually be beneficial. However, until there’s a solid body of evidence supporting either of those claims, everything else is theorising or spin. That is likely to be the case for a number of years yet, as building the research body on top of the great work to date is a huge task. It’s an even bigger task given the tendency for most 3D environments to be closed shops owned by large companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

In the meantime expect lots of hype and probably an equivalent amount of hysteria. For those interested in the area, an interview I conducted with Andrew Campbell from the University of Sydney’s Prometheus Research team eighteen months ago is still very pertinent in addressing the complexities of the area.

I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on the likely impacts, both positive and negative, of the seeming diffusion of 3D devices in the home.

Microsoft Kinect on WoW: evolutionary steps

This post comes from Metaverse Health, our sister site devoted to everything related to health and virtual worlds.

Here’s a great video showing the use of the Kinect to play World of Warcraft using a software framework called FAAST. After the initial demo there’s some useful discussion by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies on its potential applications.

Those applications are something discussed here regularly: rehabilitation and physical activity. Imagine the impact of the technology shown in the video for someone who plays a dozen or more hours of an MMO each week? Let alone someone with a chronic disease or multiple lifestyle risk factors.

Anyway, have a look for yourself:

For my interest in clinical simulation, these developments are of particular interest. Truly effective simulation is likely when health practitioners are physically able to replicate tasks. With my crystal ball in hand, I can’t see that being any more than five years away.

AIDS Quilt in Second Life

This story originally appeared on our sister site, Metaverse Health.

I’ve gone on ad nauseam about the benefits of virtual environments in regard to communal support around health issues. In the physical world, one of the most powerful support campaigns of the past 25 years is the AIDS quilt. Thanks to a joint initiative between Startled Cat and Jokaydia, that sucess story has moved into the virtual worlds of Second Life and Jokaydia’s OpenSim grid.

The premise is simple but powerful: ask those who have lost loved-ones to HIV/AIDS to commemorate those lost in a 3D version of a quilt. Like most of these things, you need to see it for yourself to get the power of it, but once you do it becomes obvious. I had a wander around the handful of quilt rooms already created and was impressed to saythe least – the overall build in Second Life is stupendous and easy to get around / navigate.

The launch of the 3D AIDS quilt occurred today and the call is now out for people to contribute.

For more information, go to either the website or check it out for yourself in Second Life.

Mobile devices: a new life for the disabled

It’s really easy in the tech field to look at new products within the prism of the average consumer. Take the iPad for example – it’s a common route to discuss cool apps that have been released and to debate future developments. It’s also easy to forget the enormous benefits these devices can bring. A superb illustration of this is the piece below from the New York Times.

Now, there just needs to be a way of funding the distribution of devices like these to families who can’t otherwise afford them. Perhaps that’s how Steve Jobs could get his name up in lights alongside Bill Gates as a leading philanthropist….

Meth apartment in Second Life

This story appeared originally on our sister-site Metaverse Health.

UCLA have undertaken a fascinating study within Second Life, using it as an immersive environment to replicate scenarios around methamphetamine use and the triggers those scenarios provide in relation to cravings and potential for relapse.

Read the full details here, plus there’s a short introduction video here. The preliminary outcomes of the study showed that the simulation is proving more effective for cue exposure than traditional methods such as videos and use of drug paraphernalia such as needles, syringes and preparation implements. There’s planned future research on looking at what treatments work best to reduce cravings, using the simulation as the benchmark measurement.

Aside from the obvious benefits this approach is going to bring for improved treatment interventions, some other key points need to be made:

Simulation is more than hospitals: There tends to be a focus on the use of virtual worlds to simulate hospital and paramedical environments. Those aspects are very important, but being able to replicate community environments where problematic behaviours occur, is an equally rich vein to mine as a health professional.

Virtual can be better than real: One of the preliminary outcomes mentioned was that the simulation demonstrated better cue exposure than just interacting with drug paraphernalia. This seems a little counterintuitive, but with illicit drug use in particular, the environment surrounding the use is a pivotal component, so replicating such an environment, if done authentically, is going to beat a counselling room with syringes and spoons every time. There is an enormous number of health issues where the same applies, meaning that not only can costs of interventions be lowered in some circumstances, but efficacy can also be improved.

Smartphones as germ farms

This news really doesn’t surprise me: a study has shown that touch-screen devices such as phones and music players are havens for germs. Just like mobile phones have been for years. Apparently some data shows that mobile phones have 18 times more bacteria than a ‘flush handle’ in a men’s toilet. Which again probably isn’t that surprising as I believe there’s a worldwide epidemic of Angry Birds being played on the porcelain battlefield.

One important point though: don’t react to the news by using anti-bacterial sprays. A decent wipe down with a damp cloth will probably do a good job and not breed antibiotic resistance. And perhaps take a newspaper to the toilet next time.

via [The Sacramento Bee]

eLegs: the future of supported walking

As a nurse, I’m an absolute sucker for devices that help people. The loss of the ability to walk is obviously one of the bigger life changes someone can experience, and it has huge impacts on both the person and the extended family and friends.

Entities like Berkeley Bionics are working flat out to develop options that assist walking, and currently it doesn’t get much better than their eLegs, which allow, with practice, the ability to walk without being reliant on a wheelchair or someone else.

Have a look:

Like any new tech, it’s cost is likely to be out of the reach of most people who need it. Here’s hoping it’s not too long before it’s a common option for everyone who wants it.

via [Dave Everhart]

Diabetes, Second Life and health outcomes

This story appeared over at Metaverse Health originally.

The Boston University Medical Center continues its work on health and virtual worlds, succeeding in gaining a US$950,000 grant from the US National Library of Medicine. The funding is for a study on the efficacy of using Second Life for Type 2 Diabetes education with African-American women versus more traditional face-to-face interventions.

You can read more detail on the study here, but there’s one key strength of the study that stands out for me: quantitative health data. Each participant will have cholesterol and ‘diabetes control’ blood tests taken before and after they receive the education sessions, as well as blood pressure readings.

The results of the study are likely to be be groundbreaking: either virtual worlds-based interventions for diabetes will be shown to be effective, or a very large challenge will be laid down to virtual worlds advocates if the results aren’t of the quantum expected. This is a study to watch.

Educating Counsellors in Second Life

A story from our sister site, Metaverse Health

John Wilson has done an interesting interview with Edina Renfro-Michel from Montclair State University. The topic is the education of counsellors, and the outcome has been improved learning outcomes from students who took part in the Second Life than those who didn’t.

As Edina mentioned in the interview, the virtual worlds aspect improved overall knowledge i.e. those student integrated their wider learning from textbooks, podcasts etc as well. It’s a recurring and somewhat unsurprising theme: the 3D learning experience is improving outcomes.

Have a look for yourself:

Merged realities – events and issues for virtual worlds

1. Car manufacturer Ford has started using a virtual human to improve the ergonomics of its manufacturing plants.

2. In a month’s time, Second Life’s 7th Birthday celebrations kick off.

3. I hadn’t stumbled across the world of Tinier Me until received a press release from their PR company announcing the debut of “popular Japanese anime character, Gloomy Bear”. Now you know.

4. Crisp Thinking, the company behind the NetModerator platform for MMOs / virtual worlds, has announced multi-language support with the addition of French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Russian. Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin) and Korean are on the way as well.

5. Prolific machinima creator Draxtor Despres has created a nice overview of an upcoming iteration of the Amputee Virtual Support System on the SL Enterprise platform:

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