When Bill Gates first demoed his BASIC interpreter for the Altair, it seems a safe bet that he could've never guessed that his company would eventually be collaborating with the US military to introduce new forms of physical therapy. Thanks to Kinect, however, Microsoft and the Air Force are now hammering out the details of a system that could assist injured soldiers through the recovery process. Curiously, all of this may be accomplished with a PC, Kinect and off-the-shelf software such as ReMotion 360 -- all of which could help keep costs low -- although a proprietary system remains a possibility. In addition to reducing treatment costs, it's thought that a home-based approach could be a convenient alternative for those who don't live near care facilities.

Even beyond physical therapy, Microsoft is also exploring Kinect's usefulness for the treatment of PTSD, which could allow the afflicted to anonymously take part in group sessions through the use of avatars. To learn more of how Microsoft is flexing Kinect's muscles with the military, feel free to hit up the source link.