Health & Environment - Winner

Run Tropica

Product Description

Gamification is the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. “Run Tropica” incorporates this concept into the rehabilitation process of children with brain injuries in a novel approach, where it complements the current conventional rehabilitation program. The main aim of this project was to develop an active video game based on virtual rehabilitation system, which focuses on targeted physical therapy of the lower limbs of the pediatric population. e.g Cerebral palsy (damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain), Motor disorders.

“Run Tropica” has a 2D infinite (endless) runner based simple platform game design, where the player’s performance is based on their ability to collect the items and how far they can run. The game play is designed in such a manner that the user is motivated to perform the specified physical movements of the lower limbs for a substantial period of time. The one button mechanism is controlled by the lower limb movements of the user detected via the Kinetic sensor from Microsoft. There are five specific movement types have been incorporated in the initial version.

Jurors Evaluation

Run Tropics is an excellent example of the power of gaming in the health sector  amply demonstrated by the “Run Tropica” app from the University of Sri Lanka. The app uses gaming as a tool to help cerebral palsy patients   practice the necessary exercises to enable them to get control of limbs that have been affected by palsy aiding in the recuperation process. Simple gaming techniques have been effectively used to induce multiple exercises that require the patient to engage with the game actively. This process of game engagement has amply demonstrated its innovation in using a mobile app in a medical condition that is difficult in most ICT interventions. Run Tropica is an app not just for Sri Lanka but for any patient with similar conditions across South East Asia.

Producer : University of Colombo School of Computing, Sri Lanka (UCSC) and Monash University Malaysia

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