Mar 19 2019
Wearing watch-style devices on their wrists, two residents of Elmcroft Senior Living sat next to one another facing a huge screen, lifting their hands together as these devices managed the avatars in front of them.
Robot-guided video game gets older adults out of rooms, learning and working together
(Video credit: Vanderbilt University)
Now and then, a squat little robot off to the side would remind the duo about the game’s object—get the avatar’s books into the correct bin, and earn additional points by assisting the other player.
While this would appear to be ludicrously simple to the Fortnite crowd, the game is not about colorful books or talking robots. It is actually about getting seniors, who are suffering the early stages of dementia, from out of their rooms and provide a means to move their bodies and, most significantly, to work together. Isolation is known to play a key role in the progression of dementia, and this unique video game guided by a robot could provide an affordable and effective solution for caregivers.
Recently, the game was tested in two nursing homes that have a total of 15 older adults, which included patients both with and without cognitive impairments. This study was performed by Vanderbilt University’s mechanical engineering professor Nilanjan Sarkar; an assistant professor in the School of Nursing Linda Beuscher; and their team. Among this group of 15 older adults, 14 of them kept coming back to play the robot-guided video game, slowly raising the duration of time they wanted to spend with it.
Larger study ahead
On the basis of those promising outcomes, the Vanderbilt researchers are seeking funds for a bigger and more elaborate analysis that could pave the way to human therapists being helped by robot contemporaries.
There are not enough younger people to take care of our older generations, and that’s why we’re designing intelligent, social robots that can talk to them, keep them from becoming isolated, lead them in appropriate physical exercise and help them with memory and cognition. It’s not the total solution, but it can go far in helping the world’s elder generations.
Nilanjan Sarkar, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University.
A study performed in 2014 demonstrated that almost 50% of Americans age 65 or older need some kind of help from another person, usually an informal caregiver. According to the U.S. Census, that population is expected to double to 98.2 million by the year 2060.
Mechanical engineering graduate student Jing Fan created this novel video game and programmed the robot to say the names of the participants at the time of instructions. In fact, according to one of the participants, Elmcroft resident Kathryn Brown, she gets thrilled on hearing that.
Brown also stated that she would like to take part in the pilot study so that she could learn more about this unique technology.
“It took some effort, but I don’t think the game was too difficult,” stated Brown. “It made me think more and be careful about my arm movements. This might very well help other senior citizens.”
Older gamers fascinated
According to Beuscher, the fact that a robot-guided therapy is novel and extraordinary has the possibilities to appeal and entertain older users. Beuscher’s specialty is geriatric nursing. According to Elmcroft staff, even after a few sessions in the pilot program, participants were engaging with other residents slightly more.
As we get older, we can become more isolated, and learning new skills and keeping moving is very important. If you don’t use it, you lose it. We know that. Moving the books on the screen requires moving their shoulders, arms and wrists. And then we’re keeping their brains active as they play the game. Most importantly, they’re engaging with one another.
Linda Beuscher, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University.
Lorraine C. Mion, a professor of nursing at The Ohio State University, worked together on this study.
National Institutes of Health grant 1R21AG050483-01A1 funded the study.