iPlay

From flexible, lightweight LED display solutions to sensor matrices and camera-based motion tracking, various developments lead to significant potential in the professional sports, fitness, gaming and health sectors. These technologies make it possible to gather large amounts of data on the user’s movement in real time and interact with mobile devices. In addition to targeted feedback, this also enables immersive experiences. However, current innovations only include limited visualization elements, awkward VR goggles and give almost no feedback. Moreover, most systems are extremely expensive.

iPlay will target two use cases: recreational sports and fitness on one hand, and rehabilitation in professional athletics on the other.

In the case of fitness, the project aims to apply the technology to generate gamified feedback for more personalized, interactive and engaging fitness practice. The main goals are to stimulate people to move more and better, thus addressing the problem of inactivity and offering qualitative workouts by focusing on monitoring and analyzing training exercises.

For the rehabilitation application, the project aims to monitor patients in realistic environments. The underlying goal is to improve the transition from rehabilitation, to training and finally to full performance – making it as quick and effective as possible.

Intuitive, low-latency and suitable for many applications

Planned outcomes for the project are varied and include the development of a sensor platform that:

  • is modular, and suitable for use in- and outdoors;
  • drives an interactive visualization canvas of 10m2 in size.

The system will be easy to install and configure. It will feature low-delay interaction with the user and an API that enables the system’s use with gaming engines. A minimum of 10 concepts will be developed illustrating the wide range of uses of this technology along with target demographics. Two of these will be developed into proofs of concept.

360 degrees of expertise

To develop iPlay technology for these two targeted use cases, the consortium will rely on a cross-domain collaboration between experts in LED visualization, dynamic plantar pressure measurement systems, game design, training and rehabilitation ICT, sensors and user research.

LATEST USE CASES

JAMZS: Full body rhythm game
JAMZS is a rhythm game developed within the IPLAY ecosystem that combines music, movement, and immersive interaction. Inspired by popular rhythm games, the experience challenges players to synchronize their actions with the beat by using both their hands and feet.
Endless Runner fitness game
This use case was developed within the IPLAY project to explore how full-body movement can be used as a natural and engaging input method for active gameplay. The result is an endless runner experience in which players physically run in place to move through a virtual environment projected onto the ground.