Development of an Inertial Sensor-Based Exergame for Combined Cognitive and Physical Training

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition where older people have experienced cognitive decline, which can then transition into dementia. Hence, it is important to prevent further health decline. Therefore, we have developed an exergame that aims to prevent cognitive and physical decline in older people with MCI. The exergame uses inertial measurement units, worn on the user’s wrists and feet, to record their movements. The user steps in place to move through the game environment and interacts with different obstacles through movement. We performed an experiment to evaluate the technical game performance, exercise intensity, and game usability and enjoyment. We found that our movement detection algorithms were able to detect 90% of all movements after one attempt, on average between 1.7-3.5 seconds. While our young participants’ heart rates did not reach moderate exercise intensity while playing the game, we expect that the activity is suitable for the target population. Furthermore, young participants’ user feedback from questionnaires regarding usability and enjoyment was positive.