News: Canadian patients will soon use ‘holodeck’ technology for rehabilitation

Get ready to geek out on this awesome news: The Canadian Forces Surgeon General has announced that wounded soldier and civilians will soon he able to use a rehabilitation virtual-reality program reminiscent of the “holodeck” on Star Trek, reports the Canadian Press. Seriously, how cool is that? Patients at Edmonton’s Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital will soon be introduced to CAREN (short for computer-assisted rehabilitation environment). The program will assist patients learning to use an artificial limb or recovering from stroke by immersing them in different virtual, 3-D environments. Check out this video to see CAREN in action.

The technology can also be used in assisting soldiers recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder by virtually transporting them pack to the site of their injury, reports CP.

Now, I’m not doctor/virtual-tech genius/Vulcan, but my nerdy brain can’t help but imagine how else this technology could be used for healing. Perhaps CAREN could assist people recovering from agoraphobia or social anxiety. What do you think about the ways in which virtual technology could be used in health care?

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