Activity profile: Videogame platform to improve cognitive and motor functions of elderly

DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTRIBUTION

iBit Foundation offers to participate in projects to which we can contribute in the ICT healthcare area, especially in improving cognitive and motor functions of elderly persons and Telemonitoring.

In general, we can offer developing and testing for the following:

-          Application of the research and development for assistive information and communication solutions.

-          Design of the services required to provide services and monitoring of dependent people (elderly and disabled)

We offer our partnership contribution to a project initiative related to provide tools for application of videogames to exploit and create assisting treatments based on use of ICT (motor, perception, memory and attention function treatments for elderly).

iBit Foundation is working close with geriatric and neurocognitive rehabilitation medical teams of private and  public hospitals of the Health Council of Balearic Islands dealing with this motor, perception, memory and attention function treatments for elderly.

Our partnership contribution:

-          Technology development on videogames: service platform with interaction and content modules

-          Interaction module: application of technologies on interactive motion-based inmersive environments:

-          Input sensor devices (keyboard, mouse, gyroscopes, accelerometers, detection of movements in front of a digital camera, voice recognition, touch screens, etc.)

-          Augmented reality interfaces

-          Content module: video games aimed at improving motor and cognitive functions.  The games allow conducting exercises assisting the elderly to develop, improve and recover their motor and cognitive capacities in a more enjoyable way

-          Geriatrics clinics real world implementation

JUSTIFICATION

Regarding technology, there have been recent technical advances in the fields of computer vision and digital image processing. There is technology available that allows to create applications to recognize the movements made by a person in front of a digital camera through augmented reality techniques, detection through the use of markers, and other technologies for user interaction such as voice recognition, touch screens, accelerometers and gyroscopes, connecting them to a device with processing capability such as a media center or a game console.

This new application of technologies provides new opportunities to exploit and create assisting treatments based on use of ICT, which can be accessed by elderly from home or from a care centre, through a conventional television screen connected to a media center or console.

Each game may be developed independently using the platform and using the interactive methods available. Sometimes, it is necessary develop a new module for specific interaction for games, but once developed this may be reused in other games.

An example of a game is puzzle pieces that aim to stimulate cognitive and motor functions. As
cognitive function the patient must choose the piece proper to place in the puzzle. Motor function
must move the piece of the puzzle to the right place using the hand.

During play sessions, the system may record the values at the time to perform the movement, the precision of movement, the number of errors made and the number of steps needed to complete the puzzle. These data may be transmitted to a server system for healthcare staff to analyze and compare the evolution of these parameters during therapy. Then the system automatically, or the healthcare staff may manually vary the difficulty of the games for the patient to remain challenged, maintaining their motivation and enabling continuous progressive improvement of their duties.

This system may allow elderly people to perform exercises in their own home to stimulate mobility in parts of their body and also their cognitive functions. This system may avoid elderly people having to travel thanks to the use of information and communications technologies.

Our work would be directly related with end users of the assistive technology for the elderly and disabled. iBit Foundation, together with main public and private (geriatrics) hospitals in Balearic Islands can provide the expertise and capacity to assess its usability, adequacy, and impact at the level of the European standards, being close to the end users.

This system may be used with the following aspects: functionality for activities of daily living, physical mobility, some sensoperceptive and cognitive functions (such as attention, memory or visual perception), the coordination and dexterity, psychological aspects as motivation, etc.

The ultimate goal is to achieve the highest quality of life of the individual and his family through the discovery of new healthcare models from latest technologies.

iBit FOUNDATION

iBit Foundation is a public non-profit research foundation depending on the Government of the Balearic Islands. Its main objective is the implementation of projects, activities and studies aimed at developing training initiatives, research, promotion, and any other financial assistance to improve and encourage all sectors of Balearic Islands society for the use of Information and Communication Technologies.

iBit Foundation carries out its task by focusing on the following areas: Research and Development, Technological Innovation and Knowledge Transfer. It has participated in more than 50 research projects and technological development involving more than 120 companies and organizations. 23 of these projects have been financed by the European Commission through the Esprit, IV Framework Program, V Framework Program, INTERREG, etc.

Our main areas of activity are tourism sector, health sector and public administration. We are actively working with companies, especially in the field of Information and Communications Technologies, and public agencies in building solutions for citizen services. In the e-health area we work closely with IB-Salut, which is the public institution managing the Health System of the Balearic Islands.