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This case study describes the creation of a headmounted display virtual reality exergame program for promoting physical exercise for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), namely people with earlystage dementia. We engaged in an iterative participatory design process with kinesiologists, recreational therapists, and people with MCI prior to pilot-testing a prototype program with three persons with MCI. The test participants engaged in the exergame, were able to do the exercises, and their feedback was very positive. Engaging with professionals and people with dementia throughout the design process was very beneficial to creating a usable and engaging design as well as identifying areas that could be further improved. In conclusion, the approach illustrated through this case study resulted a new way for older adults with MCI to engage in physical activities that is fun and tailored to their abilities. The next phase in our research is to evaluate the exergame against comparable human-guided movements.

Abstract-Navigation systems have been widely used in outdoor environments, but indoor navigation systems are still in early development stages. In this paper, we introduced an augmented reality-based indoor navigation application to assist people navigate in indoor environments. The application can be implemented on electronic devices such as a smartphone or a head-mounted device. In particular, we examined Google Glass as a wearable head-mounted device in comparison to handheld navigation aids including a smartphone and a paper map. We conducted both a technical assessment study and a human factors study. The technical assessment established the feasibility and reliability of the system. The human factors study evaluated human-machine system performance measures including perceived accuracy, navigation time, subjective comfort, subjective workload, and route memory retention. The results showed that the wearable device was perceived to be more accurate, but other performance and workload results indicated that the wearable device was not significantly different from the handheld smartphone. We also found that both digital navigation aids were better than the paper map in terms of shorter navigation time and lower workload, but digital navigation aids resulted in worse route retention. These results could provide empirical evidence supporting future designs of indoor navigation systems. Implications and future research were also discussed.

Exercise is an important factor for people living with dementia as it improves physical fitness and quality of life; however, it can be challenging for them to engage in exercise. This research created two virtual reality environments using Oculus Rift head-mounted display and Oculus touch controllers, with the goal of increasing the accessibility to exercise for people living with dementia. A three-week evaluation was conducted with six persons living with dementia to compare the virtual programs with human/therapist-guided exercise. The results showed that both virtual exercise programs were comparable to the therapist-guided exercise in terms of subjective enjoyment, comfort, and difficulty level of the activities. All the participants completed all the tasks designed for them in each day and five wanted to continue using virtual reality exercises. This research demonstrates promising potential of virtual reality exergames for people living with dementia. Future studies are needed to expand the available tasks, increase the available environments, and to examine clinical impact.

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Background Exercise is a key component of physical health and quality of life for people living with dementia; however, challenges related to dementia symptoms and aging can make it difficult for people living with dementia to engage in exercise. While immersive virtual reality is showing increasing promise for exercise and rehabilitation applications, there is a lack of research regarding its use with people living with dementia. Methods Through participatory design with exercise therapists, kinesiologists, and people living with dementia, we designed two virtual reality environments (a farm and a gym) that were implemented on head-mounted displays to support five different upper-body exercises. Virtual reality and comparable human-guided exercises were tested with six people living with dementia. Both qualitative and quantitative measures were used, including reaching distance, distance traversed, and speed as well as feelings of enjoyment, engagement, interest, easiness, comfort, and level of effort. Results Participants’ subjective responses, motion, and fitness parameters all demonstrated comparable results between virtual reality and human-guided exercises. Therapists’ feedback also supported virtual reality exercise as an appropriate and engaging method for people living with dementia. Conclusions Collaborating with experts and people living with dementia throughout the design process resulted in an intuitive and engaging design. The results suggest that head-mounted virtual reality has promising potential to support physical activity for people living with dementia.

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