

Wii board comparable to 100x more expensive physio "force platforms" - mmastrac
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527435.300-wii-board-helps-physios-strike-a-balance-after-strokes.html

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danw
Likely more expensive for two reasons:

1) Wii board is mass produced in greater volumes.

2) Selling any technology into medicine is a long slow costly process
involving multiple stages of approval and testing. Not so for a consumer game.

No 2 isn't going to change any time soon.

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bh23ha
As someone has has in the past worked in biotechnology software and is
currently working on biothech instrumentation software - you are EXACTLY
correct.

The problem with #2 is that we could get a lot of things cheaper and faster to
market with only slightly more risk for the consumer. But the regulators have
no incentive to take on that extra bit of risk. Sick people on the other
hand...

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electromagnetic
I wonder if, for exercise equipment at least, it would be worth developing it
as a video game 'peripheral' and avoid much of the regulators control.

Imagine this: a row-machine that links into your Xbox/PS3/Wii and you can
compete in tournaments in game and online, but have it completely usable
without it being used as a gaming peripheral. It could be similarly attached
to any 'sport' equipment.

I wonder if this would be enough to evade regulator oversight or not.

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aaronblohowiak
This is another win for consumer electronics and the "trickle up" economy. The
tail is wagging the dog here. Not by pushing the bounds of science, but by
increasing the availability of tech throughout the economy.

