If all goes as planned, Microsoft's Kinect motion sensor camera will be used to help provide physical therapy for injured soldiers and veterans. According to Defense News, the company is working with the Air Force and the Army’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center to create a therapy system that utilizes the camera, a standard PC, and off-the-shelf software. Kinect offers an extremely affordable and effective tool for tracking body movements, and therapy software, such as ReMotion360, is already being used for physical rehabilitation.

Due to the low cost of the device — Kinect for Windows can be purchased for $249.99 — and the minimal upkeep involved with the setup, the program would allow those who are not located near a Veterans Affairs facility to easily take advantage of its benefits. Additionally, having the program accessible remotely will lower the costs involved with maintaining medical facilities. Other military bodies, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine, have also expressed interest in the program. Beyond physical therapy, Kinect may eventually be used for training and simulation purposes, as well as treating post-traumatic stress disorder through group sessions.