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Kinect Hack Could Save Lives

News

by Ben Reeves on January 18, 2011 at 09:00 PM

9,964 Views

Hacking Microsoft’s Kinect seems to be a worldwide fad right now, but this latest repurposing might be the most practical ever. A group of graduate engineering students at the University of Washington have hacked a Kinect so it can help doctors perform surgery.

University of Washington’s newspaper, The Daily, details the students' work, which involved writing new code for Microsoft’s Kinect that allowed it to interface with their robotic equipment and basically send feedback about a patient’s body position back through the system. Because of this tracking, the students were able to workout where important internal organs were and prevent the machines from cutting too deep.

“We could define basically a force field around, say, a liver,” said Howard Chizeck, University of Washington’s professor of electrical engineering. “If the surgeon got too close, he would run into that force field and it would protect the object he didn’t want to cut.”

Proof that video games are bettering the world

Email the author Ben Reeves, or follow on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Game Informer.

Filed under: News, Kinect, hack, surgery, University of Washington

Comments

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by Doctor Apozem Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:04 PM

Kinect may be the coolest thing ever that has such incredibly shallow games. I love my Kinect, but it's not Mass Effect 2.
by badantjoka4k Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:04 PM

Epic. At least this hack isn't useless like the rest.
by samthewise54 Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:06 PM

AWESOME!!!!!!
by Joseph Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:06 PM

Wow, that is actually very cool. I'd be interested to see how well it worked.
by Conner Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:11 PM

Well I could see a lot of money in Microsoft's future for selling kinect for different purposes(like they don't have enough money already).
by Delancey The Mad Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:13 PM

IF anything goes wrong, human error will be the blame.
by zlynch Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:16 PM

I see room for any and all kinds of repercussions.
by Anticitizen-One Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:19 PM

That's great, who wouldn't like getting a surgery in assist with a kinect :P
by Ric White Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:24 PM

I want one now. And then I want a friend who can hack it. Then I want to do surgery.
by Ajax297 Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:31 PM

OMG kick ass
by Muelstool Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:34 PM

This is amazing, I love video games, I love Microsoft, and I LOVE Kinect!
by MetalShin0bi Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:34 PM

"Proof that video games are bettering the world"

You *** right!
by tenlevel Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:35 PM

I can't wait until Kinect can help old ladies across streets!
by JƟЯDΛИ Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:35 PM

that's awesome. i hope it works well, it sounds like a really great idea.
by Vurtax Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:45 PM

That could be one hell of a kinect game, imagine the skill and the tension. Surely for the hardcore gamer only.
by Luis E. Morales Falcon Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:47 PM

@Apozem is rigth, Kinect is not Mass Effect 2. Anyway, GO VIDEO GAMES HELL YEAH!
by Riot010 Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:48 PM

I could see microsoft basically leaving the gaming community to further their research on kinect. the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Not to mention we are getting closer and closer to holograms with this technology.
by Mitch Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:53 PM

Another reason to get Xbox and Kinect. I was looking to get a degree in Surgical Technology anyway.
by Mitch Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:53 PM

Another reason to get Xbox and Kinect. I was looking to get a degree in Surgical Technology anyway.
by Chance Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 07:56 PM

Maybe this will evolve to the futuristic Tony Stark tech... :)