Starfish Therapies welcomes our new piece of technology, the Nintendo Wii and Wii fit. We initially began exploring the Wii's applications to physical therapy last summer while attempting to measure the percentage of weight on the right and left foot.  Since then we've explored applications while working on balance, motor planning, spatial awareness, and timing and force generation with select children. 

We recently learned of a computer program that allows you to attach the Wiimote to your computer via a bluetooth connection and collect motion analysis data.  For example, by attaching the Wiimote to a belt secured around a childs' pelvis, we can collect and analyze objective data about pelvic motion during gait. Further more, we can see how that motion changes using different assistive devices or on a variety of terrains.  Another idea presented was enclosing the Wiimote in a protective ball and recording throwing dynamics like vertical displacement and velocity. 

While the applications of the Wii to physical therapy have been prevalent on the internet for awhile now and many adult and pediatric therapists have adopted using this technology as a fun and interactive treatment technique, it's diagnostic applications are a more recent discovery and present a cost effective way of objectively tracking changes in quality of motion in the clinic rather than the gait or motion analysis lab.

For more inforamtion about Wii click here.