Towards the use of IoT and AI for Pervasive Exergames

Abstract

An exergame is a genre of gaming that combines exercising with digital game play. The ubiquity of mobile devices make them ideal platforms for these games to promote physical activities. Advances in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons can be utilised for proximity detection to promote physical activities and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of object recognition can accelerate engagement with location-based pervasive games. Therefore, we have designed, implemented, and tested a casual exergame in the form of a treasure hunt that provides the approximate location of nearby points of interest in real-time within the vicinity of Bluetooth beacons. The system exploits the signal strength of the BLE beacons to measure proximity which makes it suitable for outdoor and indoor functioning where GPS signals are not accessible. Our preliminary results show that IoT technology can be successfully utilised for proximity detection with sufficient accuracy. In addition the adoption of AI and Camera challenges has offered an active gaming experience and mediated playful experiences for large spaces.