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Photos: A peek at the future of telemedicine

Could games be the way to stay fit and healthy?
By Natasha Lomas, Contributor
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1 of 5 Natasha Lomas/ZDNET

Could games be the way to stay fit and healthy?

Spanish telco Telefonica has been showcasing some of the research underway at its e-health facility in Granada - one of seven R&D facilities the company has worldwide, employing more than 1,900 people. Telefonica claims to have spent more than £4.3bn on 'innovation' last year.

Pictured above is a broadband-based telemedicine tech which could help doctors remotely monitor patients recovering from injury by ensuring their rehabilitation is on track.

The patient attaches a small accelerometer device to - for instance - their leg. This device communicates with the PC via Bluetooth and the patient's leg movements appear on screen, via an avatar.

As the patient exercises, the avatar displays the movement enabling the doctor to monitor the exercise and ensure it is being done correctly. The software keeps track of how many times the exercise is performed, calculates the angle of movement and its speed.

Using a webcam and videoconferencing window, the doctor can also easily communicate with the patient and even demonstrate adjustments to the exercise if necessary.

Photo credit: Natasha Lomas

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2 of 5 Natasha Lomas/ZDNET

Using a virtual representation of the patient also enables an element of entertainment to be introduced, in this case by incorporating a game of 10-pin bowling into the exercise. This means the patient is more likely to want to carry out their exercises, says Telefonica.

Photo credit: Natasha Lomas

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3 of 5 Natasha Lomas/ZDNET

Using webcam-based games to promote exercise could also help encourage elderly people to stay mobile.

This game encourages people to bounce a virtual ball by moving their arm. It works by detecting movement - as long as the patient moves their arm they can keep the ball in the air.

Photo credit: Natasha Lomas

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4 of 5 Natasha Lomas/ZDNET

Another game to encourage gentle exercise and improve hand-eye co-ordination uses falling coloured balls. Patients are asked to touch only the green balls - which then pop satisfyingly.

Photo credit: Natasha Lomas

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5 of 5 Natasha Lomas/ZDNET

This game adds an element of brain training to gentle physical exercise by asking patients to do simple mental arithmetic and then touch the ball that displays the correct answer.

This technology could be used to help elderly people keep active at home, said Telefonica.

Photo credit: Natasha Lomas

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