A game-like interface for training seniors' dynamic balance and coordination

Abstract

The current work focuses on the development of a game platform that can help elderly people to exercise and maintain their physical status and well being through an innovative, low-cost ICT platform, such as Wii Balance Board. As it is widely admitted, Third Age suffers from severe problems such as frailty and instability. Falling remains one of the main causes of severe injuries and death among people aged 65 or older. In the present paper, a set of games that make use of Wii Balance Board will be discussed, in combination with interface design principles that could improve accessibility and force seniors to engage to the training process through gaming. The main scope of the research conducted and presented here, is the design and development of a game-like interface that incorporates the characteristics of a Human-Computer Interaction system such as user input and system feedback according to user's movement patterns and the investigation of how such a platform could meet the special needs of a target group, such as elderly people and its potential use as a physical training platform in general. Accessibility issues and seniors' possible ease of adaptation to the system will also be thoroughly discussed. © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.