AAL - Game-Based Mobility Training and Motivation of Senior Citizens, 2015

Mobility problems are very common for elderly people, and a low self-efficacy (people's belief in their own competence) leads to reduced mobility and higher risk of falling that can ultimately lead to lower mobility, reduced quality of life and limitations in everyday activities and social participation. This is a vicious circle since physical exercise is important to maintain mobility and reduce risk of falling. In Norway we have long winters with roads covered with snow and ice, which makes the situation even worse. In GameUp, we will apply technologies that have been shown to be effectual computing. We will use these technologies to promote mobility by encouraging elderly persons to be more physical active and motivating them to move more by increasing their self-efficacy. We will develop a platform for social and exercise games to reduce physical and motivational barriers of elderly people's mobility. Using low cost motion sensors, we will develop exercise games designed to enhance mobility. Motivational games will provide personalized information and motivational tips adapted to the individual user's unique physical and cognitive situation. The platform will be developed using easy-to-use commercial modules and products (e.g. TV set-top-box5, Android Tablets, motion sensors) in order to facilitate bringing the idea to the market shortly after the project is finished. The project both has a strategy for service and business models. Norway is represented with research, business and user partners, and are leading two out of five work packages; 'Ecosystem of mobility games' and 'Dissemination and exploitation'. The dataset is from face-to-face interviews and observations of elderly citizens participated with input concerning user focused design and provided feedback on usability and user interface customized for seriors. The games are not available from NSD or for the general public at the time of this report.