[vimeo]http:\/\/vimeo.com\/71421813[\/vimeo] A Flinders University-made platform that enables children with disabilities to create their own artworks will be showcased at an international convention in Korea next week.<\/p>\n
The Kinect Virtual Art Program \u2013 developed by Biomedical Engineering honours graduate Laura Diment \u2013 has won a place in the 2013 Student Design Challenge. The challenge is part of the International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (i-CREATe<\/a>), which will be held in Gyeonggi, Korea, from August 29-31.<\/p>\n Using Microsoft Kinect software, a tool which senses and tracks movements, the Kinect Virtual Art Program (KVAP) allows users to create artworks simply by moving their limbs.<\/p>\n Mrs Diment (demonstrating the KVAP in the above video) began designing the program as part of her third-year work placement with the Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, in 2011, before running a pilot study with five children with severe disabilities during her honours in 2012.<\/p>\n She said feedback from the study was \u201cextremely positive\u201d, with the results showing that the KVAP was a fun, engaging and easy to use children\u2019s leisure activity.<\/p>\n \u201cArt plays a vital role in child development and provides a valuable leisure opportunity but a lot of children with severe impairments aren\u2019t able to engage in art or many other recreational activities due to limited dexterity and grip strength,\u201d Mrs Diment said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe KVAP was intentionally designed without rules, instructions or time limits to encourage creative experimentation and exploration, both on a cognitive and physical level,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis modality provides a means for children, whose participation in art activities has been otherwise limited, to express themselves freely and creatively through art.\u201d<\/p>\n