Nick Graham - Liberi: Using Video Games to Support Physical Activity and Social Connection for Youth with CP

Liberi: Using Video Games to Support Physical Activity and Social Connection for Youth with CP

Nicholas GrahamSchool of ComputingQueen’s University

With Darcy Fehlings, Hamilton Hernandez, Mallory Ketcheson, Shannon Knights, Dan Moran, Chad Richards, Adrian Schneider, Lauren Switzer, Virginia Wright, Zi Ye

Physical Exercise

• Physical exercise is critical to general health and to muscular development

• Children with CP often don’t have easy opportunities for physical activity

• Our solution: Liberi Exergame

Active Video Games Lots of potential, but not designed around kids with CP

Active Video Games …and not necessarily so active

Liberi

• Pedal-to-play

• Supports moderate to vigorous levels of exercise

• Designed around abilities of children and youth with CP

• Played from home

• Play with friends over network

Liberi Exergaming for Kids with CP

Pedal to Play

7 of 8 children able to pedal unassisted at moderate-to-vigorous exercise levels

Social Interaction via Network

• People play from home, connected using standard internet

• Using voice-over-IP and headset, can talk with other players

• Social interaction an important part of motivation to play

Social Interaction via Network

• “Yay, I don’t have to play alone any more!”

• Played with others whenever others available to play with

• Played longer when there were others to play with

• Inclusive play

• Coaching

Designing Around Abilities

• Both boys and girls like fast-paced, action-oriented games

• Fast pace a good match for exergaming

• Would you work out to a Gregorian chant?

• Yet existing design guidelines for games for people with motor disabilities advocate slow-paced games

Action Games for Kids with CP

Designing around Abilities

• Manual ability

• Gross motor control

• Visual-motor integration

• Visual-spatial processing

Designing around Abilities

Rather than starting from what kids with CP can’t do, consider that they can play any sort of game, if it is designed specifically for their abilities

Dozo Quest Game

Gekku Race Game

Experience so Far

• In-home trial - 8 children at GMFCS level III - six weeks - asked to play 3 times/week for 30 minutes

• Achieved HR and playtime targets (190 minutes played per week on average, 77.6 minutes over THR per week on average).

• Interest held up over the six weeks (187 minutes played in last week vs 184 minutes in first week).

• Cardiovascular fitness: significant improvements in shuttle run test

• SRT-III (t=-2.5, p=0.04, d=0.88)

Next Steps: Moving Beyond Research

• Increase scalability, robustness of game

• iOS version

• Adaptation to more stock hardware