Technology from non-traditional sources should not be immune from scientific rigor

摘要

In response to the letter critiquing Clark and colleagues, it is my opinion that the use of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) for situations other than its intended purpose should be approached with both caution and pragmatism. Technology has become so advanced and pervasive in consumer devices that they can conceptually double as sophisticated tools for research. These devices have an obvious economic benefit; they are less expensive and readily accessible. We as scientists should be open to leveraging this tech-nology when appropriate. However, repurposing a device is only feasible if the needs of the new task are met. In spirit I agree with Clark and his colleagues that the WBB has the potential as a low-cost force-plate. There is a caveat; the data collected is only as good as the device collecting the data.