Trickster XDream

An indoor bike that could offer the motivation to use both sides of the body. Cycling is highly recommended for hemiplegia as it requires reasonably even use of both sides of the body, on both arms and legs, and improves balance as well as muscular strength. Something like the TricksterXDream could offer a very good introduction for the nervous hemiplegic. Although with a £6,000 price tag we need a more mass-produced approach to get it down to anything affordable

Guitar Hero and Learning

The physical learning aspects of Guitar Hero, Eye Toy and Wii Fit type games also point the way to more physical ways of learning abstract ideas. Could we see games develop that help children to calculate using very large spaces and movements, rather than sitting in one spot and tapping a keyboard or wielding a pen? Given big enough screens and classroom, learners could be put into situations that require whole body movements to generate data, so they interact physically with the academic curriculum. A mathematical series, or the periodic table could become part of the world that must be physically navigated for a successful outcome. It’s been happening for a while for fun on the streets of Akihabara and on entertainment venue screens, as players compete on Dance Mats and virtual instruments. Does it have something we can exploit in the classroom?