One in six children between the ages of 3 and 17 have developmental disorders or disabilities, but only 7% of these children and youth get enough physical activity. Liberi Exergames is a pedal-to-play video game developed to encourage fitness and social inclusion. It includes a specialized recumbent bike, multiplayer game software played on an iPad, game controllers, and sensors to monitor heart rate and how fast the player is pedalling.

To make Liberi ready for sale in the market, we want to simplify the hardware by incorporating a sensor into the bike and removing the game’s dependency on heart rate (in case the heart rate monitor isn’t available). In addition, we want to test its implementation in real-world settings, such as rehabilitation programs in hospitals and clinics, which will help us plan for broader use in other clinical settings. We will work closely with youth and their families with lived experience to refine Liberi, test its implementation, and plan the next steps of our research program. The results of this project will teach us how to make Liberi easy for as many people to adopt as possible.

 

Award

  • Kids Brain Health Network: $191, 505.76

 

Partners

  • Canadian Tire
  • Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Queen’s University
  • March of Dimes Canada

 

Team

  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Darcy Fehlings
  • Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Sarah Munce
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Nicholas Graham
  • Partner: Wesley Magee-Saxton
  • Contributor: James Elson