Xbox 360 Modded to Detect Heart Attacks

[Logan Westbrook]

Xbox 360 Modded to Detect Heart Attacks

It's not just the PlayStation 3 that contributes to medical science any more, as a Rare engineer modifies an Xbox 360 to help detect heart problems.

It's well know that Sony's Life with Playstation application, the sucessor to it's Folding@Home application, helps scientists understanding the phenomenom of protein folding, but it has recently been discovered that with a few modifications, the Xbox 360 can be used to generate complex models of the heart, in a fifth of the time and a tenth of the cost of current methods.

Let's me be clear here though, this is not a modification that you could just do at home. Simon Scarle, a former engineer for Rare modified the console's chipset so that instead of producing graphics, it delivers data on how electrical signals move around the heart.

This allows doctors to view a model of the organ in seconds, something which previously took a high-performance computer hours.

"These game consoles aren't just glorified toys. [They] are pieces of very powerful computing hardware," said Scarle. "I can see this ... being most useful for students and early-career scientists to just quickly and cheaply grab that extra bit of computing power they otherwise wouldn't be able to get."

Source: Engadget [http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/computer-scientist-mods-xbox-360-to-detect-heart-attacks-girls/]

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[Sixties Spidey]

That's actually pretty sweet. I didn't know the Xbox 360 could actually do that. I remember when they did something like that to the original Xbox.

I wonder if they can do something like this with the Wii.

 

[Jon Etheridge]

So.... what happens when it RRODs? I don't know If I want that piece of machinery keeping an eye on my ticker. Figure out how to make an SNES do this and then I'll consider it. My SNES still works.

 

[Neonbob]

So.... what happens when it RRODs? I don't know If I want that piece of machinery keeping an eye on my ticker. Figure out how to make an SNES do this and then I'll consider it. My SNES still works.

...the sound of it keeping track of your heart beat would be awesome.

 

[neoman10]

So.... what happens when it RRODs? I don't know If I want that piece of machinery keeping an eye on my ticker. Figure out how to make an SNES do this and then I'll consider it. My SNES still works.

RRoD is the equivalent of a flat line would be my guess

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Well, this is going to prolong the console wars even longer.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

So.... what happens when it RRODs?

That was my immediate thought. Perhaps it's a Red Aorta of Death now?

 

[The Rockerfly]

Wasn't there a similar thread this morning?

 

[lewism247]

That's actually pretty sweet. I didn't know the Xbox 360 could actually do that. I remember when they did something like that to the original Xbox.

I wonder if they can do something like this with the Wii.

they won't because the wii sucks.

I kid,i kid

maybe some type of ultrasound thing?

 

[BOX oDAVE]

huh well i have an even better invention on how to detect heart attacks, check if your left arm is hurting, i like to think of myself as an idealist

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

So.... what happens when it RRODs?

That was my immediate thought. Perhaps it's a Red Aorta of Death now?

I'm sure whichever it is will absolutely terrify whoever has decided to keep track of their heart-beat with it when it suddenly goes off.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

huh well i have an even better invention on how to detect heart attacks, check if your left arm is hurting, i like to think of myself as an idealist

It is, but only because I just hit it.

 

[The Kangaroo]

But what happens if it gets the RROD

 

[hansari]

RROD RROD RROD...

Ugh...the failure rate is a thing of the past now guys. Bringing it up now is as lame as bringing up hope for BC for the PS3...

 

[-AC80-]

so if the 360 can help the heart (sort-of) can the ps3 help the brain? (just me being a foolish fan boy sorry!)

 

[hansari]

Xbox 360 Modded to Detect Heart Attacks

No offense, didn't another Escapist news writer do this story already?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.145715

 

[Deleted]

So when someone dies you get the red ring?

 

[Zedzero]

Hmmmmmm, Win.