Wiimote Hacks, Wiihab & Wiihabilitation

The Nintendo Wii has gained in popularity due to the fun games and the haptic interfaces or Wiimotes that can also be hacked to do clever things. Hack n Mod lists the 30 Top Wiimote Hacks on the web, and the grandmaster of Wiimote hacking is student Johnny Lee who shows you how to make a finger tracking device, digital whiteboard, and head tracking device for VR displays out of a Wii-mote.

In another playing the games and using the Wiimotes is proving to be very beneficial to people with Parkinsons.  The Times reports that the latest Parkinson's treatment is 'Wii-hab', as playing with a Wii has shown to have positive effects.

"This summer, the Medical College of Georgia in the United States announced the striking results of its research into the effects of “Wii-hab” on people with Parkinson’s disease. In an eight-week study, 18 people were asked to play Wii Sports, including virtual versions of boxing and ten-pin bowling, for an hour a day, three times a week for four weeks.

By the end of that time all the participants showed significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels. Importantly, their depression levels also decreased; depression affects around half of people with Parkinson’s disease."

Playing with a Wii is also good for the elderly improving fitness, strength and hand to eye co-ordination.We may even be using our Wiis to monitor our health soon as Wiinews reports an upcoming Wii "Vitality Sensor'. 

Watch a podcast of MsBehaviour recorded live on the g33k show, Radio Wammo, on Kiwi FM.