Device helps therapy for leg muscles
A University of Colorado professor and two graduate students are helping patients get more out of physical therapy. They’ve developed a “leg swing assist device” that provides forward mobility while patients are on treadmills. Individuals in need of this type of assistance are generally trying to overcome gait disorders resulting from brain, spinal cord or other injuries.
The goal of the device is to better understand which leg muscles advance the leg for the next step and measure how much energy is used in the process.
Rodger Kram, associate professor of Integrative Physiology at CU, recently received an award for “New Inventor of the Year” from CU’s technology transfer office and was the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the office. He is also the founder of Locomotion Inc., a tech transfer spinoff formed to commercialize the leg-assistance device and other rehabilitation technologies.
– Kimberly S. Johnson, Denver Post staff writer
Playing video games is a snap
It was only a matter of time until digital camera manufacturers decided that taking great pictures just wasn’t enough. The Fujifilm FinePix V10 from Fuji, a 5.1-megapixel point-and-shoot model, includes four games, a first for a digital camera. The games use pictures stored in the camera. While the value of these games – which include a Space Wars title and a version of Breakout – is debatable, the camera, a little over 6 ounces and less than an inch thick, is no slouch. The V10 has a 3-inch LCD screen and a 3.4-times optical zoom lens, and it can digitally zoom up to 5.7 times. It will cost $349 when it is released in March.
The camera takes video at 640 pixels by 480 pixels and holds up to 122 low-quality or five maximum-quality images on the included memory card. The V10 supports xD picture cards and has a rechargeable battery, which lasts for about 170 shots. No word on battery life while playing Picture Puzzle.
– The New York Times
