According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 28% to 35% of adults over 65 fall each year, especially in situations where they are multitasking. Those affected experience falls as significant moments that lead to great stress, and as they age, these incidents can have health consequences, resulting in higher costs for the healthcare system. With «ExerGetic», seniors will be able to simultaneously train their walking ability, balance, and cognitive skills in a physically immersive gaming environment projected onto three surrounding screens. Various studies have shown that simultaneous training is very promising. At the same time, a specially developed safety system will be implemented to prevent falls during training. «ExerGetic» aims to develop and research a playful, motivating, and safe fall prevention training program through an iterative and user-centered design process.

The «ExerGetic» project is funded by the AAL program and is being conducted in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team consisting of the fields of Game Design & Industrial Design at ZHdK, the industrial partner Sphery (a ZHdK spin-off & leading house), clinical partners Reha Rheinfelden (Switzerland) and Reha Münster (Germany), as well as VASCage (Austria) and the HCI Gaming Group at the University of Waterloo (Canada).