A new digital learning system uses the classic children's game to bring interactivity and exercise to education. It can also be used for physical therapy in adults
Fraunhofer researchers have developed a learning system that can motivate the user to move: They have combined a sensor mat with an activity monitor. Children and adults can use the system to stay fit and learn at the same time.
Previous research has shown that people who exercise regularly are healthier, are rarely overweight and increase their power of concentration. Staying physically and mentally fit - with the HOPSCOTCH system every age group can do this eaily.
HOPSCOTCH consists of a sensor mat that is subdivided in to nine fields and each field has several letters and a number in it. The mat is connected to a monitor via a cable, and tasks fom various fields of knowledge are displayed on the monitor. In order to complete the task the user presses on the fields of the sensor mat in the correct order and enters words or numbers. Martina Lucht, a scientist at the Fraunhofer, came up with the idea for the mat when she saw a hopscotch grid on the street.
Lucht and her team worked closely with researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS to further develop HOPSCOTCH and added ActiSENS, a motion sensor that measures physical activity. ActiSENS registers all of a person's movements, records their intensity and then rates them. The module determines whether the user simply tapped the fields with their foot or actually hopped on them.
The feedback is displayed on the monitor in real time using five bars.
"It doesn't just matter whether or not the task was completed, but also how. ActiSENS tells the user whether or not they have moved enough," explains Martin Rulsch, a scientist at Fraunhofer. The small sensor is housed in a box that is hooked to the user's belt.The data is read in real time and tranmitted via Bluetooth to a terminal device, such as a TV or cellphone.
The concept's possible areas of applications are varied: in schools it can be combined with languages and gym classes - this doesn't just benefit over-weight or hyperactive children. Older adults in rehab centers and nursing homes can also profit from the innovative movement concept that motivates people to move more in a lasting way. It can be used in parallel with physical therapy, for example to train muscles after operations. Since ActiSENS accurately calculates net movements and the level can be modified to the individual's endurance, which prevents it from over-or under-challenging.
Fraunhofer researchers have developed a learning system that can motivate the user to move: They have combined a sensor mat with an activity monitor. Children and adults can use the system to stay fit and learn at the same time.
HOPSCOTCH consists of a sensor mat that is subdivided in to nine fields and each field has several letters and a number in it. The mat is connected to a monitor via a cable, and tasks fom various fields of knowledge are displayed on the monitor. In order to complete the task the user presses on the fields of the sensor mat in the correct order and enters words or numbers. Martina Lucht, a scientist at the Fraunhofer, came up with the idea for the mat when she saw a hopscotch grid on the street.
Lucht and her team worked closely with researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS to further develop HOPSCOTCH and added ActiSENS, a motion sensor that measures physical activity. ActiSENS registers all of a person's movements, records their intensity and then rates them. The module determines whether the user simply tapped the fields with their foot or actually hopped on them.
The feedback is displayed on the monitor in real time using five bars.
"It doesn't just matter whether or not the task was completed, but also how. ActiSENS tells the user whether or not they have moved enough," explains Martin Rulsch, a scientist at Fraunhofer. The small sensor is housed in a box that is hooked to the user's belt.The data is read in real time and tranmitted via Bluetooth to a terminal device, such as a TV or cellphone.
The concept's possible areas of applications are varied: in schools it can be combined with languages and gym classes - this doesn't just benefit over-weight or hyperactive children. Older adults in rehab centers and nursing homes can also profit from the innovative movement concept that motivates people to move more in a lasting way. It can be used in parallel with physical therapy, for example to train muscles after operations. Since ActiSENS accurately calculates net movements and the level can be modified to the individual's endurance, which prevents it from over-or under-challenging.
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