Futurelab - Projects - Fizzees

Context paper

May 2006
Dan Sutch and Tash Lee, Futurelab

The full version of this paper is available to download in pdf format - see box below. On this page you'll find the paper's foreword, as well as some of the useful links listed at the end (skip down to links).

Foreword

There is a clear need to consider new ways of educating young people about the importance of healthy eating and exercise, and more generally to encourage the development of behaviours that promote a healthier lifestyle throughout the life-span.

The aim of this project is to develop a prototype that encourages young people to undertake a greater amount of physical activity and to develop an understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. The prototype accurately measures the player's exercise levels (specifically a measurement of heart-rate linked to movement that is compared to previous activity scores) which is then represented visually in the form of an animated character 'living' on a wristwatch-type device - a Fizzee. The Fizzee's maturation and appearance changes are dependent upon the activity levels of the user: the young person cares for and nurtures their digital pet by caring for and nurturing themselves. A website is also provided as an opportunity for children to compare their Fizzees with those of others and to enable further interrogation of their own health data. As young people play at caring for the Fizzee, they are encouraged to become an active part of the game world, controlling, caring for and nurturing their own Fizzee.

The prototype is a combination of a chest-worn heart-rate sensor and a bespoke wearable technology worn on the wrist. The (wrist) wearable technology combines a screen (displaying the constantly updated Fizzee), a processor (which uses the heart-rate data within the scoring system to provide appropriate feedback), a battery (allowing up to 12 hours' continuous use) and a port for syncing to a computer and recharging the device. An accelerometer is worn to measure movement and to provide further health/activity data.

The scoring system has been developed to reward long-term, real-world health benefits with short-term benefits to the Fizzee, based upon research into physical activity and medical health. The scoring system is founded on current expert knowledge about recommended amounts of exercise for young people in the target groups.