Study uses Kinect as remote medicine technology

Scientists have developed a new means of using Microsoft's motion-sensing camera Kinect for telemedicine applications for a low cost.

Using a laptop coupled with the popular Xbox 360 controller device, plus an Azure connection and an Office 365 account, researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock were able to allow doctors to remotely interact with patients.

The team said: "The Kinect allows doctors to control the system without breaking the sterile field via hand gestures and voice commands with a goal of reducing the direct cost of healthcare associated infections to hospitals and patients."

This new solution is substantially cheaper than dedicated telemedicine systems that can cost tens of thousands of pounds and can be used in areas where low bandwidth and unreliable connectivity are an issue.

It has the potential to cut transport costs for those living far away from hospitals, while it could also lower the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

Since it uses widely-available consumer technology – more than 24 millions Kinect units have been sold worldwide to date – this new setup could be applied to any community with a basic communications infrastructure.