VRabl: stimulating physical activities through a multiplayer augmented reality sports game

Abstract

Video games have become increasingly popular, but only a few focus on physical activity. Superhuman sports build upon this trend and try to stimulate physical activity while relying on technology to enhance human abilities. VRabl is such a superhuman sport. Being a multiplayer augmented reality sports game, it stimulates players to be physically active using similar mechanics as video games. It is based on the well-known and popular game dodgeball, to reach out to a large player community and have simple rules. The major goal of VRabl is to make dodgeball more attractive and engaging for younger generations. The game relies on two Microsoft HoloLenses to enable a novel multiplayer augmented reality sports game. A first evaluation shows that VRabl is enjoyable for people of every age group and stimulates physical activity, while having fun at the same time.