Avoidance
A short animation film by Erica Rotberg, about people's emotional detachment from reality, and how easy it, especially today, to escape to more comfortable, flat and fake alternate realities. (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - August 2, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Technostress Source Type: blogs
A virtual rehabilitation program after amputation: a phenomenological exploration
CONCLUSION: The use of a virtual environment facilitated the process of re-inserting one's body into the flow of one's experience in two opposite, but complementary ways: (1) it invited this person to move automatically without taking into account his body; (2) it invited him to take an instrumental or rational view on his body. Both processes fostered his trust in the device, and ultimately in his body. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Providing (more) technological explanation of the technological device (i.e. the virtual environment), may facilitate a rehabilitation process. Providing (more) explicit technological feedb...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 30, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cybertherapy Virtual worlds Source Type: blogs
Characteristics of Successful Technological Interventions in Mental Resilience Training
This article analyses the role of technology in the field of stress-resilience training. It presents lessons learned from technology developers currently working in the area, and it identifies some key clinical requirements for the supported resilience interventions. Two processes made up this research: 1) developers of technology-assisted resilience programs were interviewed regarding human-computer interaction and system development; 2) discussions with clinicians were prompted using technology-centered concept storyboards to elicit feedback, and to refine, validate and extend the initial concepts. A qualitative analysis...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 30, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cybertherapy Source Type: blogs
1st Place Video at 2014 Princeton University Art of Science competition
And the winner is... Sabine Petry and co-workers, Petry Lab, Princeton Department of Molecular Biology.Description: Microtubules are hollow filaments that serve as the skeleton of the cell. They were thought to grow linearly, but this movie shows that they can branch: microtubules (red with growing tips in green) grow off the wall of existing microtubules. In addition, microtubules are moved along the glass surface by molecular motors. Microtubule branching amplifies the microtubules while preserving their polarity and explains how microtubules can cause the mitotic spindle of a dividing cell to reliably segregate chromoso...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cyberart Research tools Source Type: blogs
Will city-dwellers actually use a no-cellphones lane on the sidewalk?
Via Textually.orgSidewalk collisions involving pedestrians engrossed in their electronic devices have become an irritating (and sometimes dangerous) fact of city life. To prevent them, what about just creating a “no cellphones” lane on the sidewalk? Would people follow the signs? ThatÂ’s what a TV crew decided to find out on a Washington, D.C., street Thursday, as part of a behavioral science experiment for a new National Geographic TV series. [via Quartz] As expected, some pedestrians ignored the chalk markings designating a no-cellphones lane and a lane that warned pedestrians to walk “at your own risk.” Others didnÂ...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Wearable & mobile Source Type: blogs
Real-time functional MRI neurofeedback: a tool for psychiatry
Authors: Kim S, Birbaumer NAbstract. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this review is to provide a critical overview of recent research in the field of neuroscientific and clinical application of real-time functional MRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf). RECENT FINDINGS: RtfMRI-nf allows self-regulating activity in circumscribed brain areas and brain systems. Furthermore, the learned regulation of brain activity has an influence on specific behaviors organized by the regulated brain regions. Patients with mental disorders show abnormal activity in certain regions, and simultaneous control of these regions using rtfMRI-nf may affect t...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Biofeedback & neurofeedback Neurotechnology neuroinformatics Source Type: blogs
Combining Google Glass with consumer oriented BCI headsets
MindRDR connects Google Glass with a device to monitor brain activity, allowing users to take pictures and socialise them on Twitter or Facebook.Once a user has decided to share an image, we analyse their brain data and provide an evaluation of their ability to control the interface with their mind. This information is attached to every shared image.The current version of MindRDR uses commercially available brain monitor Neurosky MindWave Mobile to extract core metrics from the mind. (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Neurotechnology & neuroinformatics Wearable mobile Source Type: blogs
Ekso bionic suit
Ekso is an exoskeleton bionic suit or a "wearable robot" designed to enable individuals with lower extremity paralysis to stand up and walk over ground with a weight bearing, four point reciprocal gait. Walking is achieved by the user’s forward lateral weight shift to initiate a step. Battery-powered motors drive the legs and replace neuromuscular function.Ekso Bionics http://eksobionics.com/ (Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: AI & robotics Cybertherapy Wearable mobile Source Type: blogs
An atomic view of brain activity
(Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 13, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Information visualization Research tools Source Type: blogs
Experiential Virtual Scenarios With Real-Time Monitoring (Interreality) for the Management of Psychological Stress: A Block Randomized Controlled Trial
Gaggioli, A., Pallavicini, F., Morganti, L. et al. (2014) Journal of Medical Internet Research. 16(7):e167. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3235The recent convergence between technology and medicine is offering innovative methods and tools for behavioral health care. Among these, an emerging approach is the use of virtual reality (VR) within exposure-based protocols for anxiety disorders, and in particular posttraumatic stress disorder. However, no systematically tested VR protocols are available for the management of psychological stress. Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the efficacy of a new technological paradigm, Interrealit...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - July 8, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cybertherapy Positive Technology events Telepresence & virtual presence Virtual worlds Wearable mobile Source Type: blogs
Never do a Tango with an Eskimo
(Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - June 30, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Augmented/mixed reality Future interfaces Self-Tracking Telepresence & virtual presence Virtual worlds Wearable mobile Source Type: blogs
Impact, funding, and Nasruddin's key
Cybersightings, Sept. 2013In his Science editorial (A perverted view of 'impact,' Science, 2013 Jun 14, p. 1265), cell biologist and biochemist Marc Kirschner warns against National Institute of Health's recent introduction of ''impact and significance'' as an explicit criterion to funding decisions.According to Kirschner, overemphasis on short-term impact (especially in fundamental research) can lead applicants to overstate potential benefits of their proposals. Moreover, as Kirschner notes, scientists working in fundamental research can rarely anticipate future applications of their eventual discoveries. A further risk r...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - June 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Research institutions & funding opportunities Research tools Source Type: blogs
Evidence, Enactment, Engagement: The three 'nEEEds' of mental mHealth
Originally posted on Digital Agenda for Europe As a researcher in the field of mHealth & mental health, I welcome the "Green Paper on Mobile Health" recently published by the European Commission. I believe that this document can provide a useful platform for discussing key issues related to the deployment of mHealth, thereby contributing to bridge the gap between policy, research and practice.Actually, according to my experience, citizens and public stakeholders are not well-informed or educated about mHealth. For example, to many people the idea of using phones to deliver mental health programs still sounds weird...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - April 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cybertherapy Physiological Computing Wearable & mobile Source Type: blogs
Commodore 64 commercial (1985)
(Source: Positive Technology Journal)
Source: Positive Technology Journal - April 29, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Vintage computing Source Type: blogs
A post-stroke rehabilitation system integrating robotics, VR and high-resolution EEG imaging
Authors: Steinisch M, Tana MG, Comani SAbstract We propose a system for the neuro-motor rehabilitation of upper limbs in stroke survivors. The system is composed of a passive robotic device (Trackhold) for kinematic tracking and gravity compensation, five dedicated virtual reality (VR) applications for training of distinct movement patterns, and high-resolution EEG for synchronous monitoring of cortical activity. In contrast to active devices, the Trackhold omits actuators for increased patient safety and acceptance levels, and for reduced complexity and costs. VR applications present all relevant information for task exec...
Source: Positive Technology Journal - April 15, 2014 Category: Technology Consultants Tags: Cybertherapy Virtual worlds Source Type: blogs
