About the influence which the virtual environment using a Kinect^<TM> sensor has on elderly people's motor function

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate how virtual environment affects aged people who periodically play the balloon popping game "Kineriha System [○!C]," with a Kinect^<TM> sensor developed by Microsoft [Procedure] We provided Kineriha System to twenty-three aged people who used day-care services twice or more a week, and asked them to operate the system two or more times a week for four weeks. Before and after this trial, we conducted (1) 10 meter walk test, (2) TUG, and (3) 5 step test on them, and compared test results of people who continued operation of the system completely for four weeks. Also, we checked their daily exercise levels and how they were curious or care about game systems. We conducted this study with Tokoha University Research Ethics Committee's consent. [Result] The tested aged people were eleven men and twelve women, 78.1 years old on the average (±6 years). Among them, seven people continuously played the game until the last day of the test period, and were measured with (1), (2), and (3). Their average score was: (1) 10.65s (±3.66)→9.23s (±1.73); (2) 10.87s (±1.97)→10.07s (±1.96); and (3) 14.14s (±2.46)→11.46s (±1.62), and every people significantly improved the test scores after playing the game at (2)&(3) (p < 0.05). [Prospect] Many people tested in this time had problems in motor functions and visual and auditory senses due to aging, and accordingly, could not keep playing the game and stopped it. Also, many of them had no experience with games. Supposedly those people could not get themselves interested in the game and stopped playing it. After playing the game, their motor functions were improved significantly, and that result was related to the number of tested people and selection bias.