Using Asynchronous Exergames to Encourage an Active Ageing Lifestyle: Solitaire Fitness Study Protocol

Valerie Gay

Valerie.Gay@uts.edu.au

UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT

University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)

Australia

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Falls in the Senior Community

• 30% of the population over 65

• Main cause of death

• Fracture

• Traumatic Brain Injuries

• Walking reduced the risk by 40%

• Stepping last resort to prevent

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Falls in the Senior Community

The StepKinnection Game

Falls prevention game mindfully designed for the elderly

RCT: 12 week + 4 week follow up on 12 participants

Results: 17% improvement in risk of falling

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Relevant Work

Kinect / Leap Motion

Reversing the deterioration

process (Liao Y et al. 2018)

Immersive, but limitations in the

range of exercises

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

Mobile Games & Apps

CAMMIna (Rodriquez et al. 2013)

ICONFES (Delbaere et al. 2011)

Standing Tall (Lord et al. 2015)

Lots of content, Motivation, not

tracking or delivery of exercises

Traditional Routines

Wearables +

Gamification

(Walden et al. 2017)

Appealing but not really a game

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Our Approach

• Separate Physical Activity from Gameplay (but still have them linked) [Tan et al. 2016]

• Most popular game

• Most common form of exercise

• Challenge:

• Don’t mess with the fun

• Appealing and suitable for the audience

• Encouragement loop

– Game should encourage physical activity

– Physical activity should encourage gameplay

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

Physical Activity Game Play

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Our Approach

Solitaire + Walking + Game Design Guidelines and Lessons Learnt

+ Power Ups + Mobile Game + Step Counter

= Active Lifestyle

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Key Features

How it works:

• Wear Activity Tracker

• Enter Steps every day

• Play Solitaire as usual

• When get stuck, use abilities

• Abilities cost steps

• Steps decay after a week

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Key Features

Most Popular Abilities

• Show next card

• Show Stack

• New Foundation

• Free Cell Slot

Centralised Data Collection

PC / Android / iPhone

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Pilot Test

Mixed opinions:

Hated it

Loved it

Saw potential of

linking their own

form of exercise

(swimming)

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

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Timeline and protocol

Design

Development

Trial

Analysis

Grants &

Publications

2 3 4 5 6 71

Literature Review

Focus Groups

Workshops Agile Game

Development

(iterations)20 participants

6 weeks

First half:

No Link

Second Half:

Linked

Feasibility

Adherence

Changes in

Mental &

Physical

HealthShare lessons.

More funding for

larger studies.

8 9 10 11 12

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

Sept/Oct 2019

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Acknowledgments

Team:

Miss Natassja Sundara

Georgette Tabor

A/Prof Tuck Wah Leong

A/Prof Valerie Gay

Dr. Jaime Garcia

Funding Source

UTS Blue Sky Funding Scheme 2018

PROJECT ELAINE – UTS GAMES STUDIO

Research Partners:

The Little Bay Coast Centre For Seniors

Participants

Member of the Centre

Thank you:

www. Project Elaine .com.auwww. Step Kinnection .com.auwww. Games Studio .org

Dr. Jaime Garcia

Jaime.Garcia@uts.edu.au

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