If anyone out there has been burned with fire, you would know the extreme pain you have to endure every time you need to change your dressings and bandages. Imagine how painful it would be for children as well. Sam Bucolo, Associate Professor of Queensland University of Technology has invented a new gaming device called the Ditto, which is used to distract children while their dressings are being changed. The game allows for multi-model interaction within a virtual environment, where the child can choose a character to accompany them on various missions. Some of these missions include find and touch stories and sing-along movies. The good thing about this unit is that it has successfully proven to be effective at deeply submerging children into the game play, which in effect, distracts them from the pain.
The device, like the iPhone, allows for navigation in the game just by moving it from side to side rather than using a keypad or controller. It also has vibrating handles and a touchscreen which assist in improving physical interactivity.
I think the idea behind it is very sound, because when I get submerged into a game or work, I basically lose a lot of awareness as to what is going on in my environment. The same concept could be applied here. Children could be easily distracted from the pain because of the fun they have with the device. The professor’s invention is so successful that it is able to keep a child’s attention for about 20 minutes, which is more than enough time to change a few dressings.
Via: PSFK
