Development and evaluation of an exercycle game using immersive technologies

Date
2015-01-30
Authors
Shaw, Lindsay Alexander
Wünsche, Burkhard Claus
Lutteroth, Christof
Marks, S
Buckley, Jude
Corballis, Paul
Supervisor
Item type
Conference Contribution
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Computer Society, Inc. (ACS)
Abstract

Exercise video games have become increasing popular due to their promise to increase fitness and reduce obesity levels, and due to the emergence of cheap interface devices. Previous research reported mixed results about the effectiveness of such games. Common problems are the lack of long term motivation of users, games not taking into account specific patient requirements, repetitive gameplay, and vendor lock-in. In this paper we design a novel exergame which addresses some of these shortcomings. The game employs an infinite randomly generated game environment, uses immersive technologies, and can be customized to take into account patient requirements. We present a prototype of this game design and evaluate its effectiveness using different levels of immersion. Our user study demonstrates a small but statistically significant increase in exercise performance and motivation when using the exergame. Employing the Oculus Rift resulted in a slightly higher motivation, but no noticeable change in performance. The head mounted display was most effective for sedentary users.

Description
Keywords
Exergame , Exercise motivation , Immersive technologies , Head-mounted displays
Source
In Proc. 8th Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management (HIKM 2015) Sydney, Australia. CRPIT, 164. Maeder, A. and Warren, J. Eds., ACS. 75-85
DOI
Rights statement
Copyright © 2015, Australian Computer Society, Inc. This paper appeared at the 8th Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management (HIKM 2015), Sydney, Australia, January 2015. conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology (CRPIT), Vol. 164, Anthony Maeder and Jim Warren, Ed. Reproduction for academic, not-for profit purposes permitted provided this text is included.