Biofeedback Applied to Interactive Serious Games to Monitor Frailty in an Elderly Population

Abstract

This article proposes an example of a multiplatform interactive serious game, which is an additional tool and assistant used in the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal system problems. In medicine, any actions and procedures aimed at helping the rehabilitation of patients should entail the most comfortable, but at the same time, effective approach. Regardless of how these actions are orientated, whether for rehabilitation following surgery, fractures, any problems with the musculoskeletal system, or just support for the elderly, rehabilitation methods undoubtedly have good goals, although often the process itself can cause all kinds of discomfort and aversion among patients. This paper presents an interactive platform which enables a slightly different approach to be applied in terms of routine rehabilitation activities and this will help make the process more exciting. The main feature of the system is that it works in several ways: for normal everyday use at home, or for more in-depth observation of various biological parameters, such as heart rate, temperature, and so on. The basic component of the system is the real-time tracking system of the body position, which constitutes both a way to control the game (controller) and a means to analyze the player’s activity. As for the closer control of rehabilitation, the platform also provides the opportunity for medical personnel to monitor the player in real time, with all the data obtained from the game being used for subsequent analysis and comparison. Following several laboratory tests and feedback analysis, the progress indicators are quite encouraging in terms of greater patient interest in this kind of interaction, and effectiveness of the developed platform is also on average about 30–50% compared to conventional exercises, which makes it more attractive in terms of patient support.