Augmented Reality Games for Children with Cerebral Palsy (original) (raw)
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A guide for making video games accessible to users with cerebral palsy
2019
Video games were initially considered as a form of entertainment. Today, this perception has changed. Many video games have been designed for a wide range of purposes: education, rehabilitation, etc. This paper presents our experience developing video games in collaboration with an association of users with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is characterized by a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation. This means that people affected by this disease are unable to handle the usual devices used in video games. Moreover, video games offer these people a form of leisure that can also benefit them in many ways: autonomy, strength, coordination, self-confidence, learning from error, etc. Three adapted video games have been developed as well as a guide for designing accessible video games for people with cerebral palsy. This experience has served to study and design new ways of making video games accessible to disabled people, givin...
GAME-ABLING: Platform of Games for People with Cerebral Palsy
European Project Space on Computer Vision, Graphics, Optics and Photonics, 2015
We present the FP7 European Project GAME-ABLING developed from December 2012 to January 2015. This project aimed at the development of a platform for the creation of games for patients with Cerebral Palsy (CP). A key point of the platform is that the framework can be used by personal with no specific skill in game creation, permitting caregivers and parents its utilization. The system is composed of (i) a framework that encompasses the several tools developed to run and control the games, (ii) the authoring tool to easily allows the creation of new games, and (iii) the analyzing tool that generate statistics on the impact of the games in CP patients. Due to motor and cognitive constraints of CP patients, specific sets of games were developed. Also an extensive group of peripherals can be employed beyond the usual game controllers, including color and depth cameras, Nintendo Wiimote and balance boards. This article describes the system elements and the results obtained during the evaluation of the games with real patients. Special detail is given to the analysis of the movements of the user's head and hands that is employed to control the games.
Developing Serious Games for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Case Study and Pilot Trial
Serious computer games developed for motor rehabilitation produce a more engaging and enjoyable method to participate in physical therapy, but lack of variation and a secondary focus on fun limit long-term appeal. Traditionally, the focus of serious games in a health context is on the rehabilitation of motor function, neglecting the often-absent or impaired sensory function of the patient. This paper discusses a series of approaches used to develop appropriate serious games for children with cerebral palsy targeted at the impaired sensory system, taking into consideration longevity of play experience, requirements from therapists or researchers, and the interface requirements of the participants themselves. Two of the games that were developed are provided as examples, including data and feedback from one child with cerebral palsy who evaluated the games for entertainment, engagement and replay value.
The Use of Multisensory User Interfaces for Games Centered in People with Cerebral Palsy
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2015
The evolution of user interfaces has improved the user experience, especially the sensory features. Also, the sensory aspect is crucial for the interaction, mainly for the development of effective assistive technologies. This study presents a game for people with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP refers to a range of clinical syndromes characterized by motor disorders and postural changes that may or may not be associated with cognitive impairment and speech disorders. Due to restricted motor condition, sports and games become difficult for people with CP. Our challenge is to offer an alternative to people with PC based on tangible and multisensory devices. The use of a robotic ball allowed remote manipulation, which makes this solution useful for people with physical disabilities. Also, an user centered design process was adopted. The game encourages people to interact by using different control devices, making it an important resource for promoting play in these users.
Designing a Smartphone Exergame for Children with Cerebral Palsy in the Home Environment
Extended Abstracts of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play
Children with cerebral palsy must perform daily exercise which is a tedious and energy consuming task. Exergames can make this routine more engaging, which can increase the compliance of the patient. This research explores the feasibility of an exergame device called the Squid Monster. The device is the result of a research through design process, and it is designed to be played on smartphones in the home environment. It operates on the smartphone's integrated sensors and two external squeeze sensors, making it accessible and cost-effective. We conceptualize how the design can be supported using a machine learning adaptive difficulty system, aiming to increase flow and therapeutic adherence of the device. Ultimately, guidelines are provided to designers for future work in this field.
Computer games can provide a participatory and engaging therapy experience for children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, significant accessibility issues must be considered and addressed. This paper discusses the design process and a subsequent evaluation session for a suite of accessible games that children with CP can independently play, engage with, and enjoy. To maximise accessibility, the games were designed so all control was based on joystick movements only, eliminating the need for in-game button use. A focus group session involving 31 typically developing children was conducted to solicit honest feedback and critique on six of the games. Positive feedback from the evaluation session supported the quality of the games and the participants’ willingness to replay them, with participant responses providing an 88% positive endorsement of the games. The evaluation demonstrated that the games would suit the intended intervention despite the modified control mechanic used to address accessibility issues. One of the major benefits of this early evaluation was that it helped to identify weaknesses in the initial game designs, with this information then feeding back into the development lifecycle for future iterations of the games and the development of new games.
The digital memory game: an assistive technology resource evaluated by children with cerebral palsy
Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 2016
The activities of daily living are routine self-maintenance tasks. Children with cerebral palsy can have difficulties, which can vary according to their level of motor impairment, in the performance of functional activities such as feeding and dressing themselves. The use of digital memory gaming can be a play activity and a technological resource that stimulates cognitive skills and contributes to the development of persons with disabilities. The objective of this article is to analyze the usability and effectiveness of a digital memory game for activities of daily living with children with cerebral palsy. Two children with cerebral palsy, one aged 5 and the other aged 7, participated in the investigation. The results obtained in the usability analysis are satisfactory because there were no major problems with the interface and the time available for the game and the rules presented were observed. The results also reveal the effectiveness of digital memory gaming for the recognition of objects and the activities of daily life. The importance of digital memory gaming for children with cerebral palsy is discussed.
A Tangible Tabletop Game Supporting Therapy of Children with Cerebral Palsy
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2008
This paper presents the design of a table-top game supporting the treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy. The game was developed through a participatory design process involving therapists and children from the target user group. The game is implemented on top of a platform that supports the implementation of tangible user interfaces using sensing technology. We argue that physical interaction, motivated and constrained by the design of tangible interfaces, offers enormous potential for occupational and physical therapy where patients need to practice specific and repetitive movements.
Video games as a rehabilitation strategy for children with cerebral palsy
2020
Video games have recently emerged as a potential motivational tool in rehabilitation. Research suggests that video games can enhance motivation to exercise and increase adherence to physical practice. Active video games (AVGs), also known as "exergames" require body movement beyond the conventional hand controller-based video games. AVGs have been used for rehabilitation purposes in population with neuromotor dysfunction such as stroke and Parkinson's disease. There is emerging interest in using AVGs to augment rehabilitation with children with cerebral palsy. However, it is unclear whether AVGs are effective for improving rehabilitation outcomes for this group of children. This thesis comprised two parts; Part one is a systematic review and metaanalysis for the effectiveness of video games in the rehabilitation of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) (Chapter 2). The systematic review is a summary of the evidence of effectiveness for AVGs used as a rehabilitation tool for improving outcomes including balance, executive functioning, reaction time, upper limb function, visual perceptual skills, and gross motor function. In total, 19 studies were included based on the eligibility criteria and were divided into three categories based on the comparisons in the study: 1) video games compared to no therapy, 2) video games compared to regular therapy, 3) video games and regular therapy compared to regular therapy. The evidence to support the effectiveness of AVGs for improving rehabilitation outcomes was weak and inconclusive due to issues in the quality of the included studies. The second part of this thesis is a description of a detailed process involved in the design, development, and preliminary evaluation of an AVG for lower limb strength training in children with CP. The reflection includes challenges and lessons learned through the process. A preliminary evaluation of the AVG provides an understanding of the feasibility and usability of the gaming system with respect to enjoyment, motivation, game engagement, and system usability. iii Preface This thesis is original work by Shivangi Bajpai. The research project, of which this thesis is a part, received ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board as "Evaluation of a video game to augment conventional lower limb strength training with children with cerebral palsy," No. Pro00087186, July 3, 2019. No part of this thesis has been previously published.