CHAPTER 2. STATE OF THE ART-LITERATURE REVIEW
2.4 E XERGAMING AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION
2.4.1 Available Exergames (EXG)
Dance Dance Revolution is an interactive game produced by Konami Corporation that can be played on several game consoles, such as Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Wii, as well as on a PC [3].
Figure 2. 8 shows the DDR game station. In Figure 2. 8 (a), the mat has no sensors. When the game starts, a lady explains the whole process, as shown in Figure 2. 8(b). The game has different soundtracks; the player can choose the track on which the player can do the dance steps by following the avatar on the screen, Figure 2. 8 (c). On the screen in front of the player, arrows drift from the bottom of the screen to the top of the screen, and participants need to synchronize each of their steps over the mat (Figure 2. 8 a) to correspond drifting arrow. The accuracy of the user has to monitor manually.
In DDR with pressure sensors, the player has to stand in the center of a 3x3 pressure-sensitive step pad (panel) and controls the game by stepping left, right, forward, and backward [3]. The DDR style games, available on the Nintendo® Wii™, Microsoft® Xbox, and PlayStation® (PS2 and PS3 platforms), have to either step or tap on a sensor located on a soft mat/pad or platform under the player’s feet. The player gets to score points if they correctly step or tap the mat in the indicated direction of the cues on the screen.
Figure 2. 8. DDR Game: (a) Mat, (b) On-screen Avatar, (c) On-screen Steps to follow the game
After each step response, the player has to return to the central panel. The feedback is given to the players based on their accuracy for each step in the form of a word on the screen, Perfect, Good, or Miss. Points are given according to how well participants performed the stepping task [3]. The game level ranges from 1 – 10; the most difficult levels have increasingly fast-moving indicators (arrow). DDR style games are fast-paced and require speed (often over 110bpm), coincident timing, attention, and entire balance [20].
Wii
These games include video gaming like Bowling, Boxing, Table Tennis, Soccer, Track, and Field, etc., as an alternative intervention in balance rehabilitation in the elderly population. Results showed such a tool could improve balance.
Figure 2. 9. Man playing bowling using “Wii mote” (remote)
[Source: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2009/04/21/science/21wii-600.jpg]
These are done via Wii with a remote control or using the balance board.
Games are played by the users using a guided video, sensor, and virtual gaming environment. Other games include Ice skate, cycling, riding bike, Table Tennis, etc. In the Wii Fit balance game, a virtual representation of
the participant (called a "Mii") is moved on a television screen via displacement of participant Center of Pressure (COP) over the Wii Balance Board (WBB). Most games last between the 30s and 3 min and the player is given a game-specific score after playing that is reflective of their overall performance [87]. Figure 2. 9. Man playing bowling using “Wii mote”
(remote).
WBB is initially designed as a video game controller; it is mostly used in combination with a video game console and its associated software. It has already been incorporated into the rehabilitation programs of neurological patients with balance defects [88].
SilverBalance Board
In this game, obstacle features appeared randomly in the game area (either from the right or left). The player has to avoid falling from the interruption that occurred due to obstacle features. In the second task, obstacle features covered the whole screen in different lengths. The player has to put pressure on the top half of the balance board until there is no contact between the player’s representative (on-screen) and the obstacle (executing constant pressure on the board represents ‘jumping action’) [89], see Figure 2. 10.
A player is putting the pressure on the board to balance.
Figure 2. 10. A player is putting the pressure on the board to balance
(Source: https://watchusplaygames.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/family-plays-videogames-wii- fit.jpg.)
SilverFit
SilverFit (Figure 2. 11) is a virtual rehabilitation system. It utilizes a time- of-flight (TOF) camera that can track a player's full-body movement in three dimensions. The camera can trace within the region a 5x5 meter area of the system [84]. The camera input (motor movements, like body posture adjustments, arm movements, standing up, sitting down, walking, etc.) is
converted by specially designed software to interpret the player’s movements and convert the input into game elements shown on HD flat screen or beamer [84]. The virtual game environments create cycling/
riding bikes on the road, fish tanks, picking a flower in the garden, etc.
(depending on users’ choice of level and environment).
Figure 2. 11. Demonstration of SilverFit
(Source: https://www.google.co.in/search?q=SilverFit&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X
&ved=0ahUKEwid24zMjqXUAhXEG5QKHVURABEQ_AUICCgD&biw=1517&bi h=735#imgrc=F9kkWU0-B654EM)
Kinect Camera
Microsoft released the Kinect RGB-D sensor as a Natural User Interface (NUI), in November 2010, for its XBOX 360 gaming platform [90]. The Kinect sensor device comprises a depth camera, an RGB camera, an infrared laser speckle pattern projector, and a multi-array microphone [91].
Figure 2. 12. Kinect RGB Camera
[Source: https://3542-presscdn-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kinect_1.png]
It provides color information of the player as well as the estimated depth for each pixel. An infrared camera captures the projected infrared speckle pattern from the projector. It is then compared part-by-part to the reference patterns captured previously (at known depths) and stored in the device.
The sensor then estimates the per-pixel depth based on which reference patterns the projected pattern matches best [90].