A Smart Chair Physiotherapy Exergame for Fall Prevention – User Experience Study

Older adults form a large and increasing proportion of the world’s population, with falls representing one of the major causes of their mortality and morbidity. When considering the aging population, falls and fall-related injuries pose a major challenge, affecting continued ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), independence, and quality of life. With the emergence of smart furniture technologies, opportunities arise within the health and rehabilitation sector. Amalgamating technology with game orientated exercise (exergames) facilitates the delivery of entertaining, complimentary tools in the provision of preventative and rehabilitative intervention. The aim of this paper is to study the potential of an exergame for seniors’ physical activation. In this study, a prototype physiotherapeutic exergames based on a smart chair was developed in collaboration with physiotherapists and game developers. User experiences were then investigated through a demo event to investigate the motivation, interest, social interaction, and suitability of the game concept for self-initiated physical training. User experience data was gathered based on researchers’ observations and a questionnaire. This data was collected from users (older adults) and facilitators (social and health care professionals and students). The results indicate the game and the chair controller to be suitable and accepted by elderly as a mean of self-activation and physical training. The game concept also showed potential in enhancing social interaction in a group-setting. Although the responses from the participants show some variation, generally the results indicate feeling of usefulness and need for exergames. More research is required to investigate the long-term effects of the games on user experiences, physical/social effects, and potential decrease of fall risk.