Limber: Exploring Motivation in a Workplace ExerGame
DEREK NEIL, SAMUEL PERRAULT, NATHAN LAPIERRE, DAVID PARKER, and DEREK REILLY
Dalhousie University
EMMA WESTECOTT, HARJOT BAL, and KATE HARTMAN
OCAD University
General Terms: Human Factors, Experimentation, Verification
Additional Key Words and Phrases: Kinect, Skeletal Tracking,
Gamification, Persuasive Technology, Ambient Display, Intrinsic vs
Extrinsic Motivators
1. INTRODUCTION
Figure 1 – Storyboard Concept (Credit: N. Sivabalaviknarajah)
Current research suggests that persuasive technology gamification and
gameful design [1] can motivate positive behavior changes in a
variety of contexts. Novel uses of technology may provide an
opportunity to enhance real-world experiences by introducing game
elements that give new motivation to engage in positive fitness
practices.
Specifically the Limber project is aimed at incentivizing regular body
movement and posture to help prevent repetitive stress injuries (RSI)
affecting knowledge workers, those who work at a computer for
prolonged periods of time. [2] Previous work on the Limber project
(Limber 1.0) will be summarized and referenced.
Our current prototype is an interactive ExerGame system (Limber
2.0), consisting of a Kinect camera to track posture and body
movements, and a corresponding software application. Players will be
able to track their own posture and stretching statistics, compare their
statistics to their immediate co-workers, and compare their group
against a different group of co-workers in the same work
environment.
The updated goals of Limber will be presented, and we will conclude
with an overview of the study to take place, and some possible
options for future work.
2. BACKGROUND
Figure 2 – Depth, Blob & Skeletal View
Limber, in it’s current iteration, is a vision-based application that
introduces gamification into the workplace. This ongoing effort to
incentivize good posture, and regular body movements implements
several changes to include; full body stretches (figure 2), team
gaming elements, and an ambient display (figure 1). With increased
intra and inter team competition our field study of twelve players in a
work place aims to better understand the most popular motivators,
and answer the question of whether increased gamification promotes
positive behavior change using persuasive technology.
ACM Category and Subject Descriptor:
H.5.2 User Interfaces: Interaction Styles
Deterding et al. define gamification as “... the use of game design
elements in non-game contexts” [4]. Deterding argues elsewhere that
the transfer of a design element from a play context into a non-game
context likely does not lead to the same motivational affordances [5].
Studies [3,4,5] have exploited persuasive technology in
“gamification” scenarios to motivate positive behavior changes in the
workplace. Laschke et al. advocate an experiential, more intrinsic
approach to gamification that focuses on the provision of meaning
rather than rewards. "The objective is not only to demonstrate and
maximize change in overt behavior, but [...] to make change a
worthwhile experience" [9]. Limber acts as a tool not simply to
change users' behaviors, but to increase body awareness and assist in
the formation of positive habits.
Vorderer et al. note three types of social value orientation that
determine the motivation for selecting games as competitive
situations: competitive (ego minus other), individualistic (ego), and
cooperative (ego plus other) [10]. In their workplace field study,
Nikkila et al. [6] notice a higher value placed on intra-group
competition than on inter-group competition, but suspect that their
Dalhousie University Computer Science Department Aug, 2012
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D. Neil et al
findings were influenced by the game design, which favors views of
group members' progress and not the progress of other teams. By
exploiting these three types of values in Limber’s game design, we
will explore the relationship between social value orientation and
personal fitness at the workplace.
3. RELATED WORK - WEARABLE LIMBER
Conducted at OCAD University in Toronto, Limber 1.0 implemented
the concept of a single user game like experience, using rewards and
demerits to encourage healthy movements & posture with a wearable
sensor hoodie with the goal of to reduce repetitive stress injuries. The
DIY nature of off the shelf sensors & freely available open source
software was meant to keep the system open, reproducible by anyone
who wanted, “thereby ‘helping themselves’”. [2]
After two iterations and studies, several outcomes where noted. A
game experience with positive reinforcement proved to be the most
effective for users, providing improved awareness of their posture.
However, users noted that sound alerts for game interactions where
often too intrusive to their primary work, and the sensor hoodie was at
times uncomfortable, and other times not aesthetically in line with
formal dress codes. [2]
Going forward, Limber 1.0 noted the following areas for future
development; [2]
•
Form explorations for improving comfort.
•
A game experience less disruptive to users’ primary task.
•
Adding interconnecting social competition.
•
Increase scope of body movements monitored.
4. CURRENT WORK - KINECT BASED LIMBER
Currently conducting studies at Dalhousie University, Limber 2.0
builds on the previous work by introducing a vision based
gamification application that uses personal, inter-group, and intragroup competition as motivations for players to improve their posture,
mobility, and stretching habits.
4.1
Limber 2.0
The current prototype consists of; a Kinect camera sensor; a small
ambient display; an OpenNI java software application; and a PHP &
MySQL web application.
The Kinect camera sensor is positioned next to the user to track them,
communicating over USB to the users’ computer. The ambient
display is also located near the user, and attached to the users
computer, providing reminders and notifications using different colors
and key words as visual queues in the background.
The software application was developed on a freely available open
source project called OpenNI that supports full skeletal tracking with
the Kinect in a java software application (see figure 2). The web
application running on a remote server is similarly built on freely
available open source software with a MySQL database and a PHP
website where players interact.
Players will be able to track their own posture and stretching
statistics, compare their statistics to their immediate co-workers, and
compare their group against a different group of co-workers in the
same work environment.
Dalhousie University Computer Science Department, Aug 2012
4.2
Ties to Previous Limber Work
Limber 2.0 continues many of the initial directions such as open
source software, encouraging healthy movement, and a game like
experience.
The software development continued on an open source software
platform, and uses off the shelf, or readily available hardware to keep
the application open to those who would like to benefit from it,
ensuring people are able to ‘help themselves’.
Although switching to a vision based approach of tracking users, the
current project continues to track posture and movement data in real
time and provide feedback to the players.
A game experience is also still very prevalent with users getting real
time notifications and reminders, based on cumulative scoring.
4.3
New Features
4.3.1.Kinect
Addressing one of the points of future development for Limber, the
current iteration is based on a vision-based system using the Kinect
camera sensor. Although this alleviates concerns related to wearable
censors, it places greater emphasis on the logic in the software
application to detect users, assess movements, and reject anomalous
readings.
4.3.2.Full Body
Expanding the scope of the initial Limber project, the Kinect allows
for tracking any movement or body part that is presented in the field
of view without any additional hardware costs. A direct benefit of this
is the ability to suggest current and future full body stretches.
4.3.3.Team Element
Introducing a gamification application that uses personal, inter-group,
and intra-group competition follows another future development point
from previous work. Adding these motivations for players to improve
their posture and stretching habits, we may be able to better
understand what motivates players to play and to improve their habits.
4.3.4. Ambient Display
Using a combination of colors that gradually change according to the
players current interactions, and text reminders based on predefined
goals and maximum time intervals, an ambient display is a secondary
device that moves the real time control and interaction of Limber off
the of the players work screen into their peripheral vision (see figure
1).
4.4
Goals
With the evolution of features comprising the current Limber project,
the updated objectives going forward are as follows;
•
Increase (intrinsic) body awareness and fitness at work
with new appeal of vision based system, and addition of
full body stretches.
•
Increase (extrinsic) fulfillment of routine tasks with
additional intra & inter group competition and online stats
tracking.
•
Decrease disruptive effect on players at their workplace
with the use of ambient notifications and reminders.
Limber: Exploring Motivation in a Workplace ExerGame
•
•
Identify most popular motivation, and/or most popular
motivation for different ‘player types’.
Understand motivations for interactions with Limber 2.0,
answer: does increased gamification promote positive
behavior change using persuasive technology.
5. STUDY
•
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interaction with the player to a background for better integration into
their current daily routine.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful to the following people for resources, discussions and
suggestions: Robert King, Ken Leung, Suzanne Stein, Melanie Keats,
Navaneethan Sivabalaviknarajah.
The study will be divided into two parts.
REFERENCES
5.1
Pilot Study
The pilot will span two days, the first establishing a base line, the
second introducing the gaming element. We will record video
interviews with the participants, and the Limber software will track
posture, mobility and stretching scores, and tab visitation information.
5.2
Field Study
The field study will run a full 10 days at a workplace with 12 users.
The first two days will establish a baseline; the remaining 8 days will
have the gaming aspect. We will log posture, mobility, and stretching
data, as well as visits to different scoring tabs. We will take periodic
records of the Kinect blob tracking data to assure that the device is
still calibrated, as well as whenever an additional person enters the
screen, to assure that the prototype is still collecting data
appropriately. This will all be done through the Limber software. In
addition, we will video record the debriefing session to capture any
gestural and postural demonstrations given by participants while
explaining their experiences.
6. FUTURE WORK – HYBRID OPTIONS
During the development of the current Limber 2.0 implementation
various options were considered for gathering and using persuasive
technology.
Switching from specific wearable sensors, to a virtual open box of
data from the Kinect there was a transition in how the raw data had to
be processed. Hypothetical options like combining the open ended,
and more general data from the Kinect, with specific data from a
minimal wireless wearable sensor like LumoBack would allow for
‘always with you’ data about mobility, and specific posture data.[3]
This would complement the more open ended ability for the Kinect to
detect other full body movements such as stretching routines without
additional sensors.
Integrating with, or moving the web application component to an
existing social platform (such as a facebook app) could also reduce
the work required to grow extrinsic motivators (teams), share
statistics, and track results in a familiar setting further integrating into
the players current habits.
7. CONCLUSION
We have shown the evolution of the Limber project from a summary
of its initial development, through to the key changes currently being
evaluated. The development of hardware and software, as well as the
extent of applied persuasive technology gamification were both
expanded to attempt to further understand motivations for increasing
awareness and fulfillment of healthy living habits.
Working with vision sensors adds new dynamics and possibilities to
tracking full body player activities, and social play competition opens
the door for extrinsic motivators. An ambient display will move the
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Dalhousie University, Computer Science Department, Aug 2012