Researchers at Britain’s Newcastle University are studying the use of Google’s high-tech Google Glass headgear to improve mobility in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Patients in one study used Google Glass at home. Google Glass users can issue voice commands to carry out functions, making it easier for Parkinson’s sufferers to do things like make telephone calls, since hand tremors often make traditional dialing difficult. One participant in the study said Google Glass could help Parkinson’s patients “remain in control of their lives,” ABC News notes.
Google Glass could also be used to monitor Parkinson’s symptoms by tracking eye and head movements. The device could warn users of increasing symptoms, giving them a chance to return home or take medication. Parkinson’s is a degenerative neurological disease that reduces motor skills, producing tremors and rigidity in sufferers.
A researcher said that participants in the study had a “hugely positive reaction” to Google Glass. The researchers said that Google Glass gave Parkinson’s sufferers confidence that they could contact other for assistance if they found themselves immobilized by tremors.
Google has announced that Google Glass — currently sold only to early adopters — will be available to all adults in the U.S. during a one-day sale on Apr. 15. Google Glass costs $1,500.
GOOG stock slipped slightly in Friday morning trading.
More Google Glass News:
