PadwalkCreating a physical rehabilitation

game on an interactive floor

Joep Janssen & Wouter Deenik

A collaboration between:

LedGo

• LED equipment

• For show (TV) business

– The Voice Of Holland

– Arab Idol

– But also: Eurovision

• Exploring other uses for floor

Student project by Wouter Deenik

From LED floor to therapy..

Rehabilitationcentre De Hoogstraat

• Question by physiotherapist/movement

scientist:

“Is it possible to design an engaging game on

the interactive LED floor where patients

suffering with neurological deficits implicitly

train their gait?”

From Gamification….

Using Commercial games…

… and change environment and context.

…to rehabilitation games, such as DJ Fiero:

More info: www.dehoogstraat.nl

Let them feel comfortable by creating

an engaging environment

Back to the floor…:

• Two users:

– Patients

– Therapists

• Two user analyses

• Goal: find out user needs

Patients’ needs

• Exciting, challenging exercises

• Adjustable difficulties with respect to Brain

Injury disorders:

– Easy exercises

– Not too overwhelming

• Variety of patients’ needs:

– Customizability of game (important!)

Patients category

3 ‘levels’ observed:

1. Much difficulty walking, need support

2. Can walk independently, but still need to learn

3. Walk stable, train strength and stamina

Therapists’ needs

• Customizability:

– Adjustable difficulty

– Train different domains

• Fast and easy to setup

• Easy to use settings interface

Technology analysis

• Floor specifications:

– Tiles of 48x48 cm and 48x48 pixels

– One weight point per tile

– Can be made as big as wanted

• Some drawbacks:

– Resolution not to high

– Weight detection: difficult to track walking aids

Padwalk

• Two game modes

• Normal

– Normal walking pattern

– Explicit: Walk to the other side (ice cream)

– Implicit: Train step size, rhythm and speed

• Random

– Lily pads appear random around player

– Explicit: Survive

– Implicit: Train balance, coordination, responsiveness, attention

Example 1, normal:

See link for movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLFUjswFq3s

Example 2, random:

See link for movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLFUjswFq3s

Settings

Much more intensity and engagement

Results Patients (19)

1. Motivation improved

2. The game is understandable for all patients

3. It is possible to make the game challenging

for most patients

4. The training is not implicit, but the game

provides a distraction

5. Patients want to use the game

Results Therapists (6)

1. Most therapists thought the game can be used as an exercise tool

2. The game is adaptable enough

3. The settings interface is not too complex

4. Almost all domains could be trained equal or better using the game

5. All therapists wanted to use the game as an exercise tool.

6. The game can be improved

Future Work

• Moving lily pads

• Different behavior of platforms with other

shapes

• Multiplayer (real-time or not)

• Bigger floor with walking harness

• High scores

• Custom paths

• Much more

Conclusion

• “Is it possible to design a game on the

interactive LED floor where physical

rehabilitants implicitly train their gait?”

– Game trains patients and is experienced as a fun

exercise

– Training not implicit

– Can training be completely implicit?

DEMO

• Hurry, it ends at 5 pm..

• Experience the game and funfactor of the

training!

• Please feel free to ask questions..

Questions?j.janssen@dehoogstraat.nl

Special thanks to

Wouter Deenik!