[Running Head: CS411 Lab 1: Doctor Sawbones Versus the Medical Monsters]
Lab 1: Doctor Sawbones Versus the Medical Monsters
Jeremiah Dunn
CS411 Team R.E.D.
February 7, 2012
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Contents
Figures............................................................................................................................................. 3
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4
2. Product Description .................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities ................................................................................. 5
2.2 Major Components................................................................................................................ 7
2.2.1 Databases ....................................................................................................................... 8
2.2.2 Algorithms ..................................................................................................................... 9
2.3 Target Market and Customer Base ..................................................................................... 11
3. Product Prototype Description .................................................................................................. 12
3.1 Prototype Functional Goals and Objectives ........................................................................ 12
3.2 Prototype Architecture ........................................................................................................ 14
3.3 Prototype Features and Capabilities.................................................................................... 14
3.4 Prototype Development Challenges .................................................................................... 14
Glossary: ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Bibliography ..................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Figures
Figure 1: Sample Report ................................................................................................................. 6
Figure 2: Major Functional Component Diagram .......................................................................... 7
Figure 3: Blood Sugar Algorithm ................................................................................................. 10
Figure 4: Table of Prototype Risks ............................................................................................... 12
Tables
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1. Introduction
Diabetes is a serious problem in America with roughly 15,000 children diagnosed yearly.
This number is actually on the rise (CDC, 2011). The JRDF through research has discovered that
over the past 30 years one-third of all children have become overweight or obese. These
conditions are the leading causes for people to be diagnosed with diabetes later in life (JRDF,
2010). The majority of the children who are at risk could avoid the whole situation if they were
properly taught before-hand the consequences and the importance of exercise and nutrition.
Those diagnosed with diabetes will be faced with many costly physician visits and, in the worst
cases, hospital admittances. Proper management of the diabetes would reduce the cost of this
tremendously especially if those at risk were taught prevention techniques starting at an early
age. There are many different forms of education, but diabetes is a topic that is riddled with
heavy medical terminology and can be difficult to understand since there are very few physical
symptoms. Real Edutainment Development (R.E.D.) has decided to create an educational video
game as an educational tool to be used between the physician, parent, and child. While some
may question whether an educational video game can be considered a true teaching medium
studies have found it is because it can create a model of a real-world system to allow the children
to interact with and see how it works (Vosinadou, 2001). R.E.D.’s educational video game is
named “Doctor Sawbones Versus the Medical Monsters” (DSVMM) which will be an
action/adventure game where the child will play as a customized avatar and battle against the
medical monster Diabeto and his minions using health management techniques.
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2. Product Description
DSVMM is a very large undertaking that has not been attempted before. This product
description will provide an in-depth and full understanding to the whole product and what it will
be able to provide. The game will feature an entertaining and educational experience to children
where their experience will be customized. The child’s performance can be reviewed by both
parents and doctors to provide feedback and more to the child. This customization data and
reports will be held on a server and will help to populate the game’s databases. The data from
the databases is crucial for the game’s major customizable algorithms. In order to market
DSVMM there are immediate and long-term strategies.
2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities
DSVMM will provide a unique learning experience that has never been tackled before. It
will provide an experience to teach children medical topics that are very complex and important
in a way that is very appealing. With this appealing learning experience children will be more
likely to respond to the lessons taught and it will give common ground for the parents and doctor
to engage with their children. In order to add to this appeal, the physician can customize the
entire game experience.
The physician will be able to create and modify these customizations through a web
interface. The customizations will largely be based around the child’s diagnosed disease along
with health issues that are generally related to the disease itself. The physician will not be
limited to this one customization set but can add new “learning modules.” Adding new modules
can expand the child’s knowledge on a subject especially if the child’s health status changes and
becomes at risk or diagnosed with a different disease. This customization data will be used in the
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databases [2.2.1] and the algorithms [2.2.2]. Since this customization data can also be changed
the physician will have access to a report on the child’s experience.
Figure 1: Sample report
As the child grows and learns the lessons provided by DSVMM the physician is given
access to a reporting interface to see accomplishments and challenges met by the child. These
reports will be accessible to both parents and physicians through a web interface. The physicians
will be able to view the reports from the same customization interface; however parents will
have access to a separate interface which simply allows them to view the reports. Figure 1 shows
a sample report and what it entails. The reports are designed to be quick to view and easy to
understand with a few simple elements. The first set of elements is composed of generic game
reported elements such as “time spent in game” and “last time played.” The second set of
elements is composed of medical milestones set throughout the game which denote lessons
learned by the player and major in-game achievements.
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2.2 Major Components
Figure 2: Major Functional Component Diagram
DSVMM is largely a software solution; however, it has a small and important hardware
requirement, the server. Figure 2 shows other computer hardware involved it is assumed that
those devices are not provided by R.E.D. The server will hold and pass customization data. This
data will be passed from the physician’s computer via a web client onto the server to be retrieved
by the game. The game, when started up, will check for any updates to the software in the form
of patches. After this check, the player will login with a username and password as provided by
the doctor where the game will make sure it has the latest customization data for the logged in
account.
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The software requirement can be regarded in two respects: the software as the player will
receive it and the software as the development team will work on it. The player will simply
receive an installation disk with an installer for the finished application. Once installed, the
player will simply have to run the application. The development team will have a far different
approach. When the game is compiled the majority of its functionality will not be able to be
touched or changed unless specifically coded to reference an external file which is changeable.
This changeable file will need to be encrypted to discourage user tampering.
2.2.1 Databases
Our game is rather database heavy, as with any large game endeavor. The first database
of note is a medical database. This database holds all medically relevant information for primary
diseases and common illnesses. Medically relevant information includes related conditions,
symptoms, and treatment options. The majority of this information is used by the game as the
educational facts the lessons are revolved around. Some of the information such as treatment
options will be used in-game to give the player advice on how to defeat a certain medical
monster.
The second database is the monster database. This database holds the base information
for all monsters in the game which includes health, attack, disease, etc. This monster
information is most utilized when the customization data is imported. This is because certain
customizations will create variations in different monsters throughout the game that otherwise
would not be there.
The third database is the game database. This database holds the ids for all playeroriented items. The most important sub-set of this game data is the food. Each food item has a
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specific glycemic index and glycemic load which will be taken into account in the blood sugar
algorithm [2.2.2]. One of the sub-sets of information in this database is assets used in creating
the game’s levels and environments. The other sub-set of information is the player and all game
relevant attributes attributed to the player. Using a database to hold these values will allow for
quick caching of values during game compilation along with easy addition of more game items
and assets in future updates.
The fourth and final database is the report database. This database will hold each
player’s id along with any of the information to be included in the reports as generated by the
parent or physician. This data will be collected from both the game itself and from the game
database. Due to the nature of this database holding all transferrable player information it will be
necessary to add an extra level of security even though the data will not hold any true medical or
personal data.
2.2.2 Algorithms
All video games are riddled with algorithms from the artificial intelligence to a damage
system to a reward system. Also thanks to the nature of video game creation many of these
algorithms will change, disappear, appear almost magically depending on user feedback,
development choices, or ability to integrate them into the overall system. This section will only
cover four algorithms that R.E.D. has deemed as un-changing because to change or remove these
algorithms would remove DSVMM’s uniqueness.
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The blood sugar algorithm can be seen as the most important algorithm this game will
need to prove. If this game is to prove that diabetes can effectively be modeled in this format
this algorithm must work. As Figure 3 below shows, this is a very complicated formula that
R.E.D. has come up with and some values such as the GI and GL can be obtained via the game
database [2.2.1], but some of this data such as the metabolic rate and the weight will need to be
inputted by the player at the start of the game. In the game this algorithm will be represented by a
scale which the player will have to constantly monitor and adjust by eating the right food
choices.
𝐺𝐼𝐺𝐿
)∗𝐶𝑓
𝑀𝑟
(
(
𝐵
)+𝐶𝑡
𝑊𝑘𝑔
= 𝐵𝑆
GI: Glycemic Index
GL: Glycemic Load
Mr: Metabolic rate
Cf: Conversion factor
B: Insulin Levels
Wkg: Weight in kilograms
Ct: Time since consumption
BS: Blood sugar in milligrams per liter
Figure 3: Blood Sugar Algorithm
The reporting and customization algorithms are rather simple algorithms but are critical.
The reporting algorithm takes the child’s progress through the game, determines what has and
hasn’t been done and compiles everything into a nice graphical report. While simple, without
this algorithm the parents and physicians will not be able to suggest changes or know before
talking to the child how far through the game he/she has made it. The customization algorithm
takes the input from a doctor’s customization form and packages all the customizations in a nice
and easy to understand format for the game to interpret, while using some security to protect the
data during transfer.
The last major algorithm to mention is the difficulty scaling algorithm. This algorithm is
important because there will be children of many different ages, comprehension skills, and other
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factors that will need the game to be of a different difficulty level from others. The game will
take into account all these different factors from the customization form and scale the difficulty
of the monsters, puzzles, and mini-games.
2.3 Target Market and Customer Base
The target market will be broken down into two parts: the immediate and long-term. The
immediate market focuses on local medical centers. The centers will use and test the game for a
negligible price to gain popularity and raise R.E.D.’s reputation. This time with the local centers
will allow for tuning of the customization options and determining what will make the game
better. The long-term plan for DSVMM is for it to be pitched to insurance companies using the
popularity and reputation gained from the early market outreach. Using insurance companies to
get other doctors’ offices and medical facilities near and far will expand the potential market and
increase revenue greatly. By the time DSVMM is readily used and known it may be in R.E.D.’s
interest to devise a retail option of the game that will allow parents to purchase the game directly.
The customer base is broken down into three groups: the physicians, parents, and
children. The physicians have access to the most features which include both the customization
and reporting interfaces. These interfaces help the physician to judge the child’s performance and
enact customization changes. The parents have access to view reports on their child’s progress
and provide feedback to the physician and assess the child’s learning of the material. The
children simply will play the game and will not have access to the reports or the customization.
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3. Product Prototype Description
The prototype of DSVMM will be a very simple version of the software suite which can
be more of a “proof of concept.” Many visual aspects meant for the full game will be left out, but
the majority of the back-end system will have to be designed and implemented. The scope of the
game will be simplified to simply diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay with a heavy emphasis on
diabetes. Since the back-end will have to be such heavily designed this will create many
development challenges especially time and this may not totally be avoidable.
3.1 Prototype Functional Goals and Objectives
The DSVMM prototype will need to perform several goals. The first goal is to show that
our video game makes a great medium for educating children about diseases and disease
prevention. The first objective towards reaching this goal is correctly modeling the diabetic
blood sugar process. The second objective is to provide an accurate model towards the
management of this blood sugar and provide a virtual experience that can be followed outside the
game. The final objective towards reaching the main goal is to prove that the doctor
customizations actually change the game experience.
Customer Risks
Technical Risks
Effective Solution
Good Game Strategy
Attractive Solution
Customization
Positive Feedback
HIPPA
Software Manipulation
Figure 4: Table of Prototype Risks
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The second goal is to mitigate the risks associated with the prototype as denoted by
Figure 4. The risks can be broken down into customer risks and technical risks. The effective
solution is discussed as the first goal earlier in this section as it is the most important risk of all.
In order for us to achieve an attractive solution we must show the gameplay as fun, exciting, and
graphical. Achieving positive feedback is hopefully the culmination of mitigating both the
effectiveness and attractiveness of DSVMM. It is still a separate risk because there may be
elements in the game that could cause a lack of positive feedback especially on the reports or
customization. The final customer risk is software manipulation and this is mainly a safeguard
risk to protect and enforce the effectiveness of the solution. As developers we may code the
game to react to certain instances as we expect them to happen, but if a non-developer takes the
controls they may be able to find holes in our algorithms and “cheat.” The best way to mitigate
all these risks is to test all of our gameplay ideas among ourselves and people not included in the
project immediately after the initial development phase in order to have the time to take any
elements back to the drawing board or refine them.
During the development phase before any testing can happen, the technical risks will
come into play. Throughout the entire development process all members of the team will need to
promote good game strategy through constant communication and proper documentation. The
customization data will need to be imported in a way that the game can access it after being built
and be easily updated without causing adverse effects. Finally, HIPPA comes into play. Since
HIPPA requires that no personal data can be transferred; only game specific events will be
reported, customized, etc. As an added security against HIPPA the physicians and parents will
sign a clause before use admitting the transfer of the data without problem.
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3.2 Prototype Architecture
DSVMM was originally designed to be a console game specifically on Microsoft’s Xbox
360. It has since been changed to the PC for the following two reasons. The Xbox 360 has
limitations on data transfers and storage especially with the current design of the database and
customization communications. The other reason is the inability to acquire an Xbox 360 license
for our game development platform, Unity3D, for the prototype. Overall this change will make
development far easier without any hoops to jump through and all members of the team will be
able to test the game without needing an Xbox 360.
3.3 Prototype Features and Capabilities
In order to create the prototype in the allotted time R.E.D. has decided to limit the
customization and reporting aspects of DSVMM. The prototype customization form will have a
very small selection options. The main disease will be limited to diabetes and the smaller
illnesses will be limited to tooth decay and obesity. The prototype will be able to show
customization changes and how they affect difficulty. It is R.E.D.’s hope that this limitation will
prove that the customizations can be beneficial even without full functionality.
The other feature, the reporting, will be simulated and limited. The simulated reports will
be generated to show different scenarios outside of the scope of the prototype. The simulation
will take into account the way the game is played and how different results should appear. From
the prototype itself the reports will be limited to a few checkpoints simply to prove the concept.
3.4 Prototype Development Challenges
As the prototype is developed R.E.D. is going to run into many challenges however this
section will highlight just a few. The first development challenge is database interfacing.
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Unity3D has the ability to use custom C# scripts and it appears that database commands can be
coded with these scripts however once the game is compiled these scripts become inaccessible.
The challenge will be to make the scripts generic enough to allow for future database expansion.
The second development challenge of proving that DSVMM actually works as a solution
has been stressed several times throughout previous sections [2.2.2, 3.1, 3.2]. R.E.D. will need to
empirically show that it does overcome this challenge. At the base of proving this solution is the
blood sugar algorithm as introduced in [2.2.2]. If the algorithm cannot be implemented or is
found to be inaccurate the game is considered worthless. Huge amounts of experimentation and
algorithm simulations will need to be run and then hopefully the challenge will be overcome.
The final development challenge is staying on schedule. There are so many assets that
the game will need in order to start testing. Without staying on schedule there will be no time to
test the integration of modules or the gameplay elements. This will most undoubtedly be the
hardest challenge R.E.D. will face but it is possible to overcome. The team will need to work
together in perfect unison and make communication key. R.E.D. has a very talented and diligent
team and each member has the faith that we will succeed.
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Glossary:
Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure for calculations used for data processing and automated
reasoning.
Asset: An element used in the game engine. Includes textures, models, audio, networking, etc.
Avatar: A virtual character in a video game which is a representation of a person in real life,
usually the player.
Children: Young people between the ages of 6-12.
Customization: A form the physician fills out which gives each child’s copy of DSVMM a
personalized factor.
Diabetes: A group of metabolic diseases where a person battles high blood sugar. Refers to both
types I & II
Diabeto: The virtual representation of diabetes and the arch-enemy of the player.
Doctor Sawbones Versus the Medical Monsters (DSVMM): The educational video game
developed by R.E.D. to help children understand chronic illnesses.
Game Engine: A system to build games. This system aids in the development of most assets to
be included in the game.
Game Platform: A type of medium to play games on, a computer, console, or mobile device.
Game World: The virtual environment where the game unfolds and the player moves the game
forward.
Learning Modules: Sets of game levels revolving around different diseases and their prevention
techniques. Using a modular design makes adding new diseases easy.
Medical Milestone: Progression through DSVMM where the player overcomes a certain
medical-based obstacle
Monsters: These are digital representations of the real world diseases and health problems who
are in the form of a graphical sprite and enemies of the player.
Physician: A doctor, nurse, medical caretaker, etc. of children.
Product: A three-part software suite which DSVMM includes: the video game, a customization
web application, and a reporting web application.
Report: A graphical culmination of a player’s progress through the game and medical
milestones passed.
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References
CDC. (2011, September 15). Childhood Obesity Facts. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from Center
for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
JDRF. (n.d.). Life with Diabetes. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation International: http://kids.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=109966
JRDF. (2010, December). Type I Diabetes Facts. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation International: http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=102585
Vosinadou, S. (2001). How Children Learn. Retrieved January 28, 2012, from International
Academy of Education, Educational Practices Series (7): http://www.iaoed.org/node/29