Exergames and the involvement of seniors Ellen Brox Norut (Northern Research Institute) Norway SeGaMed December 2014.

Exergames and the involvement of seniors

Ellen Brox

Norut (Northern Research Institute) Norway

SeGaMed December 2014

Norut

• Applied research institute• Multidisciplinary• 130 employees

• ICT – eHealth group– Serious games– Gamification– Exergames and Motivation

About

• Background -The importance to move• Eldergamers vs young gamers

• Requirements for elderly• User centred design – including examples

Health and exercise

Physical activity is always important• Benefits for physical and mental health

To be able to manage, elderly need • Balance• Strength of arms and legs• Flexibility• Endurance

• Bad circle with being afraid to fall and move too little

Exergames to motivate physical activity

Elderly vs kids

• Kids like– Lots of action– That things go fast– To search, discover– Funny sounds, lots of details

• Elderly– Little information at the time– Time to think– Their own speed– Light and contrasts– Not noisy

• But elderly still like to have fun!• And get a challenge

Challenges for elderly

Basically, we are the same persons, even if the wrapping changes, but elderly are still different

• Can suffer from severe mobility problems in arms and legs

• Eyesight• Hearing• Cognition

• Knowledge and confidentiality with technology is a challenge

• Often lack motivation for training• Can exergames motivate?

Projects

Several projects with exergames and gamification for elderly

• IsActive – walk simultaneously but not together• Join-In – online exergame• GameUp – exergames for mobility

• Online biking – bike together online

• Nettrim – test online exergaming

User centred design

User-centred design (UCD) is a process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product, service or process are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process (wikipedia)

multi-stage problem solving process– analyse and foresee how users are

likely to use a product– test the validity of the assumptions

Why user centred design?

• See the health game from the users’ perspective

• Users are the ones who shall use it• Success depend on them

– Be able to use it– Wanting to use it– Use it correctly

• Not always easy to imagine the users’reaction

• Very hard for a young person to understand the limitations of age

When?

The entire project:

• Requirement gathering and analyses• Design• Development• Evaluation

Methods for user centred design

Some common methods

• Literature• Focus groups• Usability testing• Questionnaires• Interviews• Participatory design• Field studies• Card sorting

Eldergamers

• Important to involve the elderly in the entire process• Very difficult to recruite seniors

• Used senior centres• Involved employees to help• Established groups that meet regularly• It must be meaningful

• Might have to supply with new userssince some leave for several reasons

Commercial exergames

• Have been playing Wii and Kinect over time with people 70-95• Enjoy many games• Still may need help to

– Navigate – Start games (jump)– Understand– Get an overview

Wii and Kinect

• Challenges– Wii: batteries and calibrations– Wii: buttons– Kinect: need a lot of space + others– Both: difficult menus– Language

• Most games not suitable due to– Speed– Amount of information– Colours and contrast

Kinect chosen for exergaming

• We prefer Kinect over Wii for elderly:– No batteries– Easy calibration– Easier to play two together– Not much equipment– More intuitive to navigate and play

– Can monitor exercises• Exercises defined by physiotherapists• Playable in several levels• Can calibrate for each user’s abilities

Our methods

Requirements: commercial games, literature, observations and group discussions

Design: tested movement, interface, colours, etc.

Observations, group discussions, semi-structured interviews

Implementation: iterative trials of exergames

Observations, group discussions, semi-structured interviews

Evaluations: trials of prototypes with new participants

Structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires

Example of changes based on user feedback

Some early changes:• Lighter background• Better contrast sky/tree• Contrast apples / tree• Apple signs visible

• Buckets lifted• Head on stick man• Moving cloud removed• More blue, less green•

Change examples

Menu colours

• Tested several menu colours

• Was too much, they got exhausted

• Difficult to get the real opinion!

Main menu

Gamification with social elements

• Stepcounters• Cycling app

Stepcounter

App with personal and group goals

Interface suited for elderly

Cycling app

A tablet that can be strapped to a stationary bike

Cycle at the same time, see who else do

Google streetview

Conclusions

• The users are extremely important at all stages!

• It is difficult for the young imagine limitations of age

• It is difficult to recruite elderly, so team up with senior centres etc.

• Cannot have many long questionnairs

• Don’t forget that elderly also like fun – and challenges

Thank you!

[email protected]: ellenbroxTwitter: ellentos+47 934 19 285