This article presents the concept and first experiences with a new interdisciplinary course on Urban Health Games at Technische Universität Darmstadt, in which students of architecture, psychology, and computer science develop location-based games for health. The course aims to meet the growing demand for interdisciplinary collaboration to critically investigate and improve the quality of life in cities. The authors present the course format along with first experiences with a prototype for a context-sensitive exergames, in which users learn to balance their heart rate in response to the game’s storytelling and their movement in real world locations. Preliminary tests underline the potential of integrating contextual information on users’ psychophysiological state and the urban environment. They show good results in increasing sensibility towards environmental stressors and health outcomes. Reflecting on the first research outcomes and students’ evaluation, this article identifies challenges of the format in optimizing interdisciplinary exchange among students and researchers. It concludes with an outline of how to further develop the course format.

1. KOM - Multimedia Communications Lab
© author(s) of these slides including research results from the KOM research network and TU Darmstadt; otherwise it is specified at the respective slide
Tim Dutz
Stefan Göbel
Sandro Hardy
Michael Gutjahr
Johannes Konert
16-Sep-14
Developing Urban Health Games
An Interdisciplinary Approach
Workshop on Smart City Learning at
EC-TEL 2014 in Graz, Austria
16.September 2014
(Arch)
Martin Knöll
Annette Rudolph-Cleff
(Psy)
Katrin Neuheuser
Joachim Vogt

2. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 2
Research on Urban Health Games –
An Interdisciplinary Approach

3. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 3
Research on Urban Health Games –
An Interdisciplinary Approach
Implementation
Course Structure (per term)
1st two
weeks
2nd month 3rd month 4th month 5th month 6th month
Full-day course
Introduction, 2x Playtesting
and final presentations
Lecture series
associated material and guests
Project work
student teams
Advisors
in all three faculties
Sum of effort: about 240h (8CP)
Archi-tecture
ET / IT
Psycho-logy

4. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 4
Approach:
Urban Design stimulates “walkability”
 Use patterns
 Transport systems
 Urban Design
Characteristics as
- imageability
- enclosure
- scale
- transparency
- Complexity
 Diversity and transition
Image courtesy of: Active Design: Sidewalk Experience:2013.

5. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 5
RESULTING PROTOTYPE(S)
www.urbanhealthgames.de

6. fRUNkfurt –
a storytelling-based pervasive activity game
KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 6
 Interval Training
(based on biofeedback + game design + urban planning)
 Urban Design Analysis of activating and relaxing areas
 Aim: Actively influence
the perception of city environments for health training
 Targeting: office workers
 Detective story approach, dynamic way-planning
 Contributes to walkability and habit changes

7. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 7
Criteria
Criteria: Room for relaxing
Size/transparency: narrow-wide
Protection: unprotected-protected
Noise: loud-quiet
Traffic: crowded – calm
Aestehtics: shabby-cultivated
Green: seldom-broad
Comfort/Furnishing: few-many
Criteria: Room for physical activity
Size/transparency: narrow-wide
Protection: unprotected-protected
Exercise space: limited use – plenty
Workout possibilities: few bases – good base
Furnishing for activity: few-many

8. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 8
Map of analyzed POIs
Picture courtesy of TicTrac, iTunes / Google Play, 2013 / Connected Aps

9. Mapping area and POI order to interval training
KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 9

10. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 10
Exemplary route

11. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 11
Train station area
Smartphone connects
excercise to story
„To gain the trust of
your informant solve
the quest“
Activating POIs
Picture courtesy of TicTrac, iTunes / Google Play, 2013 / Connected Aps

12. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 12
Activating POIs
Picture courtesy of TicTrac, iTunes / Google Play, 2013 / Connected Aps

13. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 13
Relaxing POIs (and “brain”work)
Ferdinand Happ Street
(Counting)
Inner courtyard
(Quiz)
Picture courtesy of TicTrac, iTunes / Google Play, 2013 / Connected Aps

14. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 14
Riverside of „Main“
(Yoga exercises for
breathing with closed eyes)
Example of one user‘s heartrate curve
Relaxing POIs

15. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 15
Preliminary Results
 Course format demands
 strong coordination of aims/guidelines
 establishment of common vocabulary
 professional support for hardware and schedule
 fRUNkfurt (and other prototypes)
 Data collection can be used for further urban planning
 Assess design elements of digital games
for urban health games
Archi-tecture
ET / IT
Psycho-logy

16. KOM – Multimedia Communications Lab 16
Thank you
Thank you for
Thank you for your
Dipl.-Inform. Johannes Konert
 Attention,
 Questions,
 Answers and
 Feedback.
 your interest,
 questions and
 hints.