While the Wii Balance Boardās usefulness as a fitness device are questionable, thereās no doubts over its ability to perform as aā¦rehabilitative āforce platformā.
Thatās a device used by doctors to measure the balance of a person recovering from a stroke (or similar injury), employed when the patient is ārelearningā how to walk.
While lab-grade devices normally cost around $20,000, researchers from the University of Melbourne have torn apart the humble Wii Balance Board, tested its guts and found that Nintendoās peripheral is almost as good as the expensive stuff.
āWe found the data to be excellentā, Uni of Melbourneās Ross Clark told New Scientist. āI was shocked given the price: it was an extremely impressive strain gauge set-up.ā
So impressive that Clark and his colleagues wrote up a paper singing the Balance Boardās praises, recommending it as a low-cost replacement for the costlier, dedicated āforce platformsā.
Wii board helps physios strike a balance after strokes [New Scientist]
