MM 3223 - Abby Johnson

  The Future of Physical Therapy: Virtual Reality as a Rehabilitation Tool Recovery after a traumatizing injury or disaster can sometimes take many years and is an extremely difficult process. Trying to relearn simple motor movements and redeveloping muscular movements can be strenuous and hard on the patient not only physically, but also mentally. When we think about the traditional physical therapy, we may all have the same picture in our heads. A big room with white walls and plenty of exercise equipment laying around. While our physical therapists do a great job in their field, this traditional form of therapy can make it difficult for the patient to be motivated to continue recovery and can also make it difficult for the patient’s body to actually understand what to do when he gets home or has to do this on his own.      One newer form of technology that researchers are now seeing as a promising form of treatment in the physical therapy world is Virtual Reality ...

 Bridging the digital divide in an ageing population      As the global population age is rising more and more each year, the digital divide among different age levels must be lessened in order to create a more sustainable and successful world. In many countries, the life expectancy has increased to 70 years or more and in 2020, for the first time ever, individuals aged 60 or older outnumbered children under the age of five. While things like better nutrition and healthcare are partly responsible for this rise in global age, new technological innovations are also a huge part of this success. Things like big data and artificial intelligence have greatly helped to meet the demands of this ageing population.      Whilst these new technologies have helped to bring along healthy longevity in people, they have to be created in a way that is inclusive to the older population who did not grow up in the age of technology. Some of the best innovations that have...