Developing
movement-based
computer games
for Parkinson’s
Lynn
Project information
Lead researcher
Professor Lynn Rochester
Location
Newcastle University
Cost
£31,836 over 9 months
Start date
March 2012
Type of project
Innovation grant
Project code
K-1106
Project background
Exercise is emerging as an important therapy to help people with Parkinson’s improve
their gait, balance and mobility. So finding beneficial, enjoyable and safe activities that
help people with the condition get the most out of exercise is vital.
It seems that more complex and challenging forms of exercise that use sound and visuals
can help make exercise more effective for people with Parkinson’s. This can be difficult to
achieve with traditional physiotherapy techniques. But movement-based computer games
systems like the recently released Xbox Kinect provide huge potential for developing fun
and innovative ways for people with Parkinson’s to exercise.
•
The Xbox Kinect uses a camera-based controller which means players can control
games through body movement without the need for handheld controllers.
•
So far there has been no published research using Kinect in people with
Parkinson’s, but Lynn believes it has great potential for developing tailored games to
tackle specific symptoms of the condition such as balance and posture.
•
And because Kinect tracks the player’s body movements it could also help people
and their physiotherapists monitor any changes in their symptoms.
What the researchers are doing
In this project Lynn and her team aim to develop and test a simple game for the Xbox
Kinect to help people with Parkinson’s improve their posture.
The team will work with five volunteers who are all at different stages of Parkinson’s to
design the new game. Once the game is developed, the volunteers will play the game
while the research team use motion tracking to test if the game successfully helps people
with Parkinson’s to improve their posture.
Once testing is complete the researchers and volunteers will discuss their ideas for future
development.
How the research will help people with Parkinson’s
Lynn hopes the results of this study will lead to bigger projects to develop a range of
different games that tackle a range of Parkinson’s symptoms, and a large-scale study to
test the effectiveness of the games for people with the condition.
Ultimately this study could lead to a range of computer-based exercise games that people
with Parkinson’s can use at home with their families to manage and improve physical
symptoms - helping people maintain their independence and improve their quality of life.
For more information, please talk to the Research Team
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020 7963 9313
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