Adaptive Gamified Robotic Interventions to Mitigate Physical Inactivity among Persons with Dementia
Abstract: The global rise in dementia underscores a growing need for accessible, individualized approaches to supporting physical activity in older adults. Persons with dementia frequently experience prolonged sedentary behavior, which has been shown to accelerate both physical and cognitive decline. Although physical activity is a well-established intervention for improving mood, mobility, and cognitive resilience, care facilities often lack the staffing required to deliver consistent, one-on-one engagement. Socially assistive robots (SARs), such as humanoid social robot Pepper, offer a promising avenue for addressing this gap through scalable, interactive care support.
This presentation discusses an adaptive, gamified engagement module developed for the Pepper humanoid robot to promote physical activity in adults with cognitive impairments due to dementia. The proposed system includes computer vision-based movement tracking to support sustained engagement during exercise. We examine the feasibility of gamification for physical activity support, with the goal of increasing exercise duration and engagement. This work contributes a deployable architecture for SAR-based exercise engagement in dementia care.
Advisor: Professor Fiona Yuan
Zoom link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/8428205216?pwd=GsaiC6O8WwpnAByoEowDFvAxD7fbf6.1
Meeting ID: 842 820 5216
Passcode: PM8iJM