Embodied Gameplay: Non-formal Activity in Rehabilitation

A collaborative explorative pilot study is detailed between hospitals in Denmark and Sweden involving rehabilitation medical staff and children where the affordable, popular and commercially available Sony Playstation 2 EyeToy® is used to investigate potentials of games utilizing mirrored user embodiment in therapy. Results highlight the positive aspects of gameplay and the evaluand potential in the field. Conclusions suggest a continuum where presence state is a significant interim mode toward a higher order aesthetic resonance state that we claim inherent to our interpretation of play therapy. A state of presence is inherent where stimulation of fantasy and imagination involves engagement and subsequent interaction with a virtual environment (VE). Once this engagement is achieved and sustained we propose that a higher order state is achievable through empowered activity toward a zone of optimized motivation (ZOOM). This is possible by using an interface to the VE that is empowering without the need for any wearable technology that is deemed encumbering or limiting for the participant. The interface data – participant motion - is mapped to control immediate feedback content that has real world physical traits of response and is interesting, enjoyable, and fun for the participant so that experience and engagement is further enhanced.