The GAMECycle exercise system was designed as an interactive means to increase fitness with arm ergometry while incorporating video game play. A focus group was held for the GAMECycle alpha prototype to obtain clinician and user opinions to improve the design so a more functional product would result. Participants in a later study, using the improved GAMECycle completed the same questionnaire as individuals in the initial evaluating focus group. The goal of this paper is to show that as a result of the focus group, the GAMECycle features were improved to meet user opinions and needs. When comparing the alpha and beta prototypes, participants responded more positively to the beta prototype, showing that the improvements from the alpha prototype focus group were successful.
GAMECycle, arm-ergometer, exercise, user-centered design
This work was supported by a National Institutes of Health SBIR Grant (2R44HD039535-02A1) Three Rivers Holdings, LLC. Special thanks are extended to the Human Engineering Research Laboratories.
Erin E. Mishey
Human Engineering Research Laboratories
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
7180 Highland Drive, Bldg 4,
151R1-H
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Office Phone (412) 365-4850
EMAIL: eem11@pitt.edu
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