As society moves deeper into the 21st century, the military has a new weapon to fight against the impact of injuries sustained by our troops.
National Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced yesterday the installation of a $ 1.75-million Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton.
The virtual reality system is designed to enhance physical and mental rehabilitation services for soldiers and patients by engaging them in a computer stimulated environment.
With the help of a moving floor and a wrap-around video screen in which the patients see their own movements in real time, CAREN creates a virtual world in which they are less aware of their limitations.
“As hard as we work to keep our troops safe, losses do occur as do injuries,” Minister MacKay said during a press conference at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Centre yesterday.
“As a country we ask a great deal of the Canadian Forces. We have to make sure that we give our support to those who may fall ill or injured. By getting behind the CAREN system, I believe we’re showing that commitment to providing the necessary modern tools to help in (their) recovery and rehabilitation.”
CAREN is anticipated to be operational in early 2011. It is the second system of its kind to be installed in Canada. The installation of a CAREN system at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre was announced in February.
