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!

ellen.brox@norut.noSkype: ellenbroxTwitter: ellentos+47 934 19 285