Lindsay Alexander Shaw

Competition and cooperation with virtual players in an exergame

Twocross-sectional studies investigated the effects of competition andcooperationwith virtual players on exercise performance in an immersive virtual reality (VR) cycle exergame. Study 1 examined the effects of: (1) self-competition whereby participants played the exergamewhile competing against a replayof theirprevious exergame session (Ghost condition), and (2) playing the exergame with a virtual trainer present (Trainer condition) on distance travelled and calories expendedwhile cycling. Study 2 examined the effects of (1) competitionwith a virtual trainer system (Competitive condition) and (2) cooperation with a virtual trainer system (Cooperative condition). Post exergame enjoyment and motivation were also assessed. The results of Study 1 showed that the trainer system elicited a lesser distance travelled than when playing with a ghost or on one’s own. These results also showed that competing against a ghost was more enjoyable than playing on one’s own or with the virtual trainer. There was no significant difference between the participants’ rated enjoyment and motivation and their distance travelled or calories burned. The findings of Study 2 showed that the competitive trainer elicited a greater distance travelled and caloric expenditure, and was rated as more motivating. As in Study 1, enjoyment and motivation were not correlated with distance travelled and calories burned. Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrate that a competitive experience in exergaming is an effective tool to elicit higher levels of exercise from the user, and can be achieved through virtual substitutes for another human player. Subjects Human-Computer Interaction, Emerging Technologies

Balancing different fitness levels in competitive exergames based on heart rate and performance

Combining exercises with game elements (exergaming) is a promising approach to increase physical activity of users not intrinsically motivated to exercise. Multiplayer games are particularly promising, since they add a social (competitive or collaborative) component. However, exercising together can become frustrating if users have vastly different abilities. In this paper, we review existing approaches for balancing differing physical abilities of players in competitive exergames, and based on this, we propose a novel exertion-based balancing formula. In contrast to previous work, we evaluate exertion-based balancing formulas with a moderately complex gameplay and show that it results in closer competitive gameplay and a more enjoyable game experience. The proposed formula can be applied to a wide variety of exergames and has the potential to increase compliance and long-term use of exergames.

Evaluating sensory feedback for immersion in exergames

Exercise video games show promise as a tool for increasing physical activity by providing intrinsic motivation to play the game. Immersion is an aspect of gaming which can lead to increased motivation and enjoyment. Due to the recent rise of consumer level Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), high levels of immersion are possible. In this paper, we evaluate different forms of sensory feedback in an immersive exergame played using an Oculus Rift HMD. We evaluate resistance feedback in the exercise itself, haptic feedback with wind, and sound feedback. Our study shows that all three kinds of feedback increase immersion when compared with no additional feedback, and that sound and wind feedback also increase enjoyment and motivation. Sound feedback is significantly more motivating and immersive than wind and resistance feedback. Combining all three feedback types produces better results than any single feedback type on its own. Exercise performance does not significantly change with the feedback types, although more calories are spent with resistance feedback due to the slightly increased difficulty of the exercise.