MCRI, Curve Tomorrow win top award in Silicon Valley

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Melbourne-based Curve Tomorrow have won a Health 2.0 Launch! award for the SONNY Movement assessment and rehabilitation platform.

SONNY Movement aims to improve accessibility to healthcare and health outcomes for children with brain injury and movement disorders.

It uses technologies and trends including a 3D camera, gesture control, cloud and social gaming to allow for the automated capture of accurate movement measurements that can be used to inform rehabilitation programs.

The device picked up first place at the Launch! session at the Annual Fall Health 2.0 conference in Silicon Valley, California, marking the first time Australian organisations have taken the prize.

Murdoch Childrens researcher Jane Galvin said the goal is to allow more clinically useful measurements while making use of the system fun and engaging for the kids.

“A therapist will be able to log onto the system and see what tasks are working for the child and what areas the child needs to develop,” she said.

“Setting achievable milestones may sound like a small thing, but for children who are recovering from an illness or accident, accomplishing small milestones throughout their recovery can make all the difference and keep them motivated.”