Development of a Novel Electronic Musical Instrument with Seated Foot Stomping in Consideration of Physical Activity and Dementia Risk

Abstract

Dementia has emerged as one of the top global priorities for health and social care in the 21st century. We focused on the physical activity guideline recommended by the World Health Organization (2010,2019) for reducing the risk of dementia [bouts of physical activity of at least 3 METs and at least 10 minutes]. We are developing Cymis, an electronic musical instrument that allows users to easily play their favorite songs, in the belief that the addition of musical performance will encourage users to continue exercising. The computer stores pre-programmed scores of songs. The user plays the music by stomping his or her feet while sitting and pressing on the inflated balloon. The heart rate is displayed on a monitor in real time. A performance experiment was conducted with healthy men in their 20s. They were easily able to meet the physical activity guideline. A psychological evaluation was also carried out using a flow state scale. The usefulness of the system was demonstrated.