Empowering the Exercise: a Body-Controlled Trampoline Training Game

Video games can empower their players beyond reality, giving them extraordinary abilities. We investigate a novel class of games that provide empowerment in both the real and the virtual world, in this case using a trampoline as part of the human-computer interface. We studied whether novice trampoline jumpers can learn trampolining skills while playing a platform jumping game implemented using computer vision and a screen placed near the trampoline. 29 participants were divided into three groups: self-training, a game with a normal jump height, and a game with an exaggerated jump height. Performance was tested in pre, post and follow-up tests. All groups improved their performance significantly. The game was considered more engaging and the mean flow questionnaire (SFSS) result with games was significantly higher than with self-training. The study shows that trampoline games can be fun, intuitive to play and basic trampolining skills can be improved while playing the game. A game is more engaging than self-training and extra empowerment, such as jump height exaggeration, enhances the experience. The exaggeration did not adversely affect jumping performance, and half of the participants did not even consciously notice it, which suggests that there is considerable design freedom for manipulating the player’s movements in trampoline games.