e-touch
the human side of computing
Wednesday 27 August 2008, 11:08 AM
Physiotherapy Gets Virtual
Patients who need physiotherapy following a stroke or accident could soon be put through their paces in a virtual reality (VR) environment.
A very clever person at the University of Portsmouth is creating a rehabilitation programme that places patients on a treadmill and into a virtual world. It works by using moving images to trick the patient’s brain into thinking he or she is walking more slowly than they are which in turn encourages them to walk faster and further.
Wendy Powell, a PhD student in the School of Creative Technologies, is obviously a cyberpunk at heart. But her early results are promising and suggest that patients using virtual rehabilitation may experience less pain than traditional physiotherapy alone. Wendy developed the software which works in conjunction with a specially adapted treadmill. Clinical trials on real patients are taking place in collaboration with experts at the renowned McGill University in Canada. A former chiropractor, Wendy hopes it will pave the way for a new and innovative approach to physiotherapy.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time VR has been used for treatment. A virtual reality theatre was built in 2006 for treatment and therapy purposes at the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center in the U.S. The IVR-Cave is a patient’s own personalised IMAX Theater, complete with three screens which encompass the patient with 180 degrees of high-definition film and surround sound. The patient is able to watch interactive movies on the big screens from an elevated platform in the middle of the room. The interactive movies provide patients with practice in social situations, but also allow the therapist to monitor results.
For example, someone may be undergoing speech therapy for stuttering problems. After stepping into the room, they are presented with a film featuring a McDonald’s worker asking them for their order. Depending on the response from the patient, the therapist can choose particular branch points through the scenario. If the patient is acting belligerent, the worker may go and get the manager, while if the customer’s stuttering becomes overwhelming, the worker may show amused facial expressions.
VR is also being used today by the military. Dr. Greg Reger, a clinical psychologist at the Telehealth and Technology Center of the Defense Center of Excellence, is utilising a virtual world where U.S. soldiers can walk the roads of Iraq with a standard issued M-4 in hand, feel the shockwave from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast, experience the feeling of being ambushed by Iraqi forces and then smell the scent of gunpowder from fired weapons after the battle is finished. Created by developers at the Institute of Creative Technology at the University of Southern California, Reger does not use this virtual world to train soldiers for deployment, but rather to help them after coming home. While some service members are able to easily transition from war to life back home, others may have a more difficult time as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Wendy’s virtual system encourages patients to walk more quickly and for longer, almost without them realising it. She said it effectively fools the brain and the body. The environment is apparently stimulating and entertaining and there’s less fear of falling over. Wendy hopes that the system will also help older stoke patients who often find traditional approaches to improving their speed and distance difficult because it relies very much on self-motivation.
After a stroke or fall many older people lack motivation and confidence and they don’t feel steady on their feet so getting out and about can be an issue and they can find the whole process rather dull. Wendy’s system uses a variety of different images from urban landscapes to forest and mountain scenes. She has built a system of rewards into some of the programmes, which encourages the patient to pick up objects and collect points. She said that older people were not at all put off by the ‘computer game’ element but seemed to enjoy it.
Stroke survivors are in luck too. The vast majority of stroke survivors cannot use a normal treadmill because they are not in control and many can only hold on with one hand making it almost impossible. Walking is the best possible exercise for their bodies and this system would help enormously. I can see it working very well on improving strength, endurance and stamina. Consistency and practice are key to making progress and this system has huge potential across a wide range of activities which can be tailored to meet individual rehabilitation needs.
I wish you all the very best with your work Wendy!
Wednesday 27 August 2008, 10:30 AM
Broadband Customers Overpaying By 70%
UK customers are paying 70% more than they need to for their broadband connections despite the credit crunch. Masses of broadband customers (70,000 in fact) on 8Mbps broadband packages have been interrogated by Broadband Expert to find out how much they pay for their connections. Compared to the deals currently available on the market, it’s no surprise that there’s a huge disparity between the two figures - much like the energy market!
On average UK broadband customers pay £16.98 per month for an 8Mbps broadband package, despite some providers offering a similar package for under £10 a month. BT and Demon customers lose out most, while Sky and O2 customers are quids in.
You may not be aware that broadband prices have dropped dramatically in the last few years. A customer who signed up for a broadband package 2 years ago could be paying two to three times the amount they would pay if they signed up to a similar or better package today. Broadband providers (and mortgage lenders while I’m ranting) could - and should - do more to ensure long standing customers are not overcharged by moving them on to the same pricing a new customer would receive.
Some customers are aware that they could save money by switching to a new provider, but are not willing to spend the time to move to a different ISP. Switching broadband is no longer the traumatic process it once was. Under Ofcom regulations, Internet Service Providers must provide a MAC code (a numerical code like a serial number) which can be passed to the new provider and is designed to make switching from one provider to another as painless as possible. Even with the best planning in the world you can expect 1or 2 day’s downtime, but aren’t the cost savings worth the hassle in the long term?
Tuesday 19 August 2008, 11:55 PM
Is Virtual Studying Progress?
A postgraduate degree which allows students to develop a professional IT qualification without getting off their butts has been launched by the University of Aberdeen. Whatever next, jobs you don’t have to wake up for?
One of the only degree programmes of its kind in the world, the Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Software Project Management uses virtual learning technology to enable students to study part-time from their home or work environment. How is all this possible? The Net of course - studies are undertaken entirely online with no requirement for students to attend classes on campus or even dress for the occasion/at all.
According to the University of Aberdeen, the MSc in Software Project Management is a unique and innovative course that utilises cutting edge Web-based technologies to provide quality teaching for distance learning students. While the virtual learning environment probably allows students undertaking the programme to essentially study wherever and whenever they like - be it from work, home, the other side of the world, or even on Daddy’s yacht - I can’t help but feel that there’s more to education than a user ID and password.
Monday 11 August 2008, 1:20 PM
Small Companies Don’t Stand A Chance
A worrying e-mail landing in my inbox today that compelled me to respond. Over half of private sector businesses believe that SME suppliers are less competitive than their larger counterparts, according to new research from BT Business and Cisco. The research, developed to explore the factors influencing large businesses in choosing suppliers, shows that the same proportion of large businesses are more demanding of suppliers than they were a year ago.
Although 87% said small businesses are more likely to have the personal chemistry (I daren’t ask!) conducive to a smooth supplier relationship, 57% said they do not believe SMEs are as able to provide around the clock support, and 52% said they are less able to offer competitive rates. This is not good for little guys trying to make a living. On a positive note, procurement managers are aware of the benefits of working with a smaller business. The vast majority (72%) believe small businesses are well placed to offer a more personalised service than their larger competitor, with customer service and responsiveness cited in the top five reasons to award contracts. Hooray!
The bias for larger, established businesses is illustrated by 40% who said they are less likely to choose a small business supplier when times are tough. And 42% would select a larger supplier over a smaller one, believing that big enterprises are a safer option in the long run. It also emerged that 41% think that small firms are less creative. In my experience, it’s that larger companies who are less creative and unwilling to change working practices to completely satisfy their customers - unlike smaller companies who bend over backwards to gain and retain customers.
Procurement managers allocate on average £28 million each year to suppliers, with a sizeable 23% (£6.6 million) spent with small businesses. While these figures point to a healthy market opportunity for SMEs in the UK, almost half (48%) have increased their payment periods or would consider doing so as a result of the credit crunch. This is despite nearly a quarter (24%) acknowledging that larger companies have a responsibility to consider the impact these terms would have on firms who may struggle to cover their initial costs.
These findings are extremely worrying for UK businesses and especially start ups. As such I would urge businesses to outsource anything that is secondary to their core business competence and invest their precious resources in what will help set them apart from the competition. Given the pressure to do more with less, small businesses are being squeezed by the demanding tendering process. Intelligent use of IT alongside wider organisational processes can help SMEs to address these challenges.
Good customer service is obviously essential for any business. Having fewer people can mean that it’s much more difficult to respond to customer queries and concerns. But there are ways to overcome this; unified IT and communication systems are now affordable for all, and can provide the tools to help enable SMEs to compete with even the biggest suppliers. A range of IP communication services including voice, video, data, security and wireless networking can be integrated to improve both business collaboration and customer responsiveness, as well as to help reduce operating costs.
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Christian Harris
Founder & Editor, BIOS
http://twitter.com/christianharris
Thursday 7 August 2008, 11:07 AM
Top Tips For Controlling Telecom Costs
Controlling costs in a slowing economy is a simple way to improve your company’s bottom line. One of the best areas to start is with your IT and communications. Here are some tips to save some cash:
1. Adopt flexible working practices: Cut the need to travel - and therefore save against rising fuel costs - by moving to conference calls rather than face to face meetings. Flexible working can help you to manage your workforce more efficiently, reduce costs, improve morale and keep hold of your most important asset - your employees.
2. Make calls online: Make calls over the Internet using VoIP and mobile VoIP services to save money on line rental and call charges.
3. Subscribe to on-line support: Remote IT support removes the need for full-time on-site IT staff.
4. Market your business aggressively: Join an online community (like BT Tradespace) to enable you to network - and trade - with like-minded businesses - all for free!
5. Conserve capital and switch to subscription solutions: Software-as-a-service (SaaS) software applications provide the latest software when you need it without an upfront license fee.
6. Get your hands on 0% credit: The credit crunch might be restricting your access to finance but some firms offer 0% credit on telecoms and IT solutions to help your business be more effective and reach more customers.
7. Stay ahead of the pack: A slowing economy means it’s more important than ever to remain competitive. Combine your lines, calls and mobiles into one competitive package.
8. Consolidate to control costs: 62% of UK businesses have more than four suppliers for telecoms and IT alone. Unified communications packages allow you to integrate applications on a single platform or device, helping you to cut costs.
9. Analyse your communications spend: Understand in detail how your business incurs its telephone charges - whether fixed or mobile - to cut costs. Understand your call itemisation, manage resources and spot call trends.
10. Use free-to-use and free-to-trial services: There are a multitude of free services out there to help your business. Good firms will conduct a free IT review of your business and provide you with a 3-year growth plan. Also looks for free advice and support before signing up.
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Christian Harris
Founder & Editor, BIOS
http://twitter.com/christianharris
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