Project Aim
The ExerGetic project aims to develop and examine an innovative digital training/therapy solution to individually improve physical and cognitive functions of the geriatric population. The ExerG solution is a user-centered video game-based physical exercise, a so-called exergame, providing an ecologically valid and safe training/therapy setting for the geriatric population. The ExerG solution is developed with concepts of modularity and extensibility to accommodate different usage scenarios, depending on the identified needs and business cases.
Challenges & Innovation
In our ExerGetic project, we develop and test the exergame solution – ExerG – that can unite the elements of an attractive, safe and effective training/therapy solution and that allows innovative soft- and hardware adaptations to overcome the existing challenges in this field: (1) User-centred focus, (2) Motivation, (3) Meaningfulness, (4) Ecologically valid, and (5) Accessibility.
The innovation of our solution is based on the integration and consideration of several interdependent elements:
- Personalised (end-user-centred) requirements
- Safe training setting
- Ecologically valid and meaningful training setting
- Cloud solution and communication
End-users and their requirements, experience and feedback are involved in the whole iterative project process to fulfil the aspect of an end-user-centred solution.
Social Impact
The social impact is expected to be substantial, since the main goals of the solution are to stimulate and improve older adults’ physical, cognitive and mental functions and thus enhance their daily life independence through exergaming. Independent interaction of older adults triggers a more active lifestyle, which improves the sense of social connectedness and thus the quality of life of older adults in the long-term.
Interdisciplinary Project Team
The interdisciplinary project team consists out of University partners from Canada and Switzerland (University of Waterloo and Zurich University of the Arts), experts out of the rehabilitation sector placed in Switzerland and Austria (Reha Rheinfelden, Reha Zentrum Münster and VASCage) and an industry partner specialised in the development of Exergames based in Switzerland (Sphery).