A novel music-based game with motion capture to support cognitive and motor function in the elderly
This addresses the need for engaging eHealth solutions to support aging populations with limited care resources, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing motion capture technology.
The paper tackles the challenge of low compliance with physical exercises in the elderly by developing a music-based game prototype that uses motion capture to stimulate cognitive and motor functions, resulting in a system designed to support both cognitive functioning and physical strengthening.
This paper presents a novel game prototype that uses music and motion detection as preventive medicine for the elderly. Given the aging populations around the globe, and the limited resources and staff able to care for these populations, eHealth solutions are becoming increasingly important, if not crucial, additions to modern healthcare and preventive medicine. Furthermore, because compliance rates for performing physical exercises are often quite low in the elderly, systems able to motivate and engage this population are a necessity. Our prototype uses music not only to engage listeners, but also to leverage the efficacy of music to improve mental and physical wellness. The game is based on a memory task to stimulate cognitive function, and requires users to perform physical gestures to mimic the playing of different musical instruments. To this end, the Microsoft Kinect sensor is used together with a newly developed gesture detection module in order to process users' gestures. The resulting prototype system supports both cognitive functioning and physical strengthening in the elderly.