This paper presents a novel game prototype that
uses music and motion detection as preventive medicine for the
elderly. Given the aging populations around the globe, and the
limited resources and staff able to care for these populations,
eHealth solutions are becoming increasingly important, if not
crucial, additions to modern healthcare and preventive medicine.
Furthermore, because compliance rates for performing physical
exercises are often quite low in the elderly, systems able to motivate
and engage this population are a necessity. Our prototype
uses music not only to engage listeners, but also to leverage
the efficacy of music to improve mental and physical wellness.
The game is based on a memory task to stimulate cognitive
function, and requires users to perform physical gestures to
mimic the playing of different musical instruments. To this
end, the Microsoft Kinect sensor is used together with a newly
developed gesture detection module in order to process users’
gestures. The resulting prototype system supports both cognitive
functioning and physical strengthening in the elderly.