Soda Drinker Pro helping disabled people through a mechanical arm brace

No real, refreshing soda included

[Update: Destructoid has received an email from Sean Halloran at Myomo, explaining more about how people have received Soda Drinker Pro:

“Right now, Soda Drinker Pro for the MyoPro is still right out of development, and we have sent it to some select patients… for feedback. We should hear back from the first of them any time now, so I’ll keep you updated!”

Halloran also explained the in more depth how Soda Drinker Pro for the MyoPro came to be:

“Although our previous games have not been as refreshing as Soda Drinker Pro, as per lack of soda, we have still had great success with them too. Our other games currently include our version of Pong called Bounce, and we are soon releasing a top down arcade space shooter called MyoSpace… 

That said, Soda Drinker Pro is also great, because it appeals to gamers who use the MyoPro! We have one local such user who is an avid PC gamer and WoW subscriber. He has enjoyed our arcade style games, but he has been asking us for more gaming experiences like his favorite PC games. So we started with Soda Drinker Pro! In the future we hope to port more PC games to the MyoPro.”

The article below has been update to reflect this new information, and we’ll be sure to update you should we hear any more.]

Soda Drinker Pro is a game about pulling a big cup of pop up to your lips and taking a huge, wet gulp. You can just gulp it down in a variety of differently coloured parks, and some weirder settings too. Interestingly,  now the game has taken on a new role: Soda Drinker Pro is being used to help disabled people regain the use of their arms.

The new function of Soda Drinker Pro comes part of a partnership between the developers and the medical device the MyoPro. a brace worn on weak arms. It uses a non-invasive brain-to-device interface to move, and is meant to provide adequate support for lifting and daily use of the arm. This video below shows how the MyoPro works:

The problem was training people how to use the MyoPro. Many were turning up to Occupational Therapy without knowing how to use it, making the therapy less effective. The team who designed the MyoPro approached developers to make simple games to teach people how to use their arm with the device. After some success with games such as Bounce, a Pong-styled game, and an arcade shooter called MyoSpace, the team were introduced to Soda Drinker Pro.

From there, Soda Drinker Pro was made to work with the MyoPro. Players can now learn to control their arm by simply drinking virtual pop, an action that does require some amount of limb control. You can see the game in action with the MyoPro below:

Destructoid have asked the team behind the MyoPro what the response to this from actual users of the brace has been, and we will update with a response as soon as we get one.

Personally, I think this is absolutely brilliant. A quirky game that was originally a one-joke affair, has found a new use actually helping people.