MemoVR - Exergame for the Elderly

Within the EXGAVINE project, we conducted a requirements analsis for a virtual reality (VR) application for Alzheimer’s and dementia therapy, based on which we implemented a fully-functioning prototype in Unity3D. Afterwards, the game was evaluated qualtiatively. For requirements analysis and evaluation, we worked together with two focus groups consisting of residents from the nursing home “Hospital zum Heiligen Geist”, with different, but mild, levels of disease progression. The project followed a classical SCRUM approach for structuring the development.

In an initial meeting, we used a previously developed semi-structured interview guide to assess wishes, hopes, concerns, and general observations of the residents first VR experiences. On the basis of the conducted interviews, we created a requirements analysis as a specification for the development of the game. The developed prototype “MemoVR” is a virtual realtiy version of the classic memory game, involving the task of throwing a ball at memory cards in order to turn them. Furthermore, the game includes a scoreboard showing the current high score, a feature that was requested by the residents.

During a second meeting, we presented, tested and evaluated the prototype in the focus groups, to gather feedback for the next development cycle. We concluded the project by summarizing the lessons learned from the evaluation and the feedback for future product development, regarding game design, implementation details and hardware considerations.

MemoVR was featured in the EXGAVINE project’s March 2019 recap where you can see our game in action played by residents (German):

This project was carried out in my BSc program within the HCI Bachelor Project module. For more details, the full project report is available in German. You can also download the source code of the prototype for Unity3D.