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GAmification for a BEtter Life

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GABLE (GAmification for a BEtter Life)

Okres sprawozdawczy: 2018-05-01 do 2019-10-31

The project created the first online video games service for youths with Cerebral Palsy (CP), which host a platform of games (exergames and non-exergames) focused on improving motor skills and visual-motor coordination for youths with CP. These games leverage the latest advances in games development, games authoring tools, machine learning, development of interactive games distribution platforms and input devices, in order to improve accessibility. The platform has been constructed with social networking in mind, which allows parents, caregivers and patients to socialize in a common environment, to share experiences and advice, in an effort to provide the best care for CP patients. Caregivers are also able to share best practices and lessons learned among themselves, which will help them provide a better service across Europe and beyond.

GABLE was born out of the idea that there is little or no help for youths with CP to play games specifically suited for their disability, while motivating them to play more and helping to rehabilitate their motor and motor-visual skills, and at the same time, introducing them to multiplayer/online gaming that would improve their social skills, and by extension, their social inclusion among their peers. Looking at the research done into these problems, we have seen that only baby steps have been made in an attempt to solve them. Several isolated demonstrations, in a research environment, have shown that there is great potential in exergames to be used as rehabilitation tools while others have shown that multiplayer can bring about social interaction leading to an improvement of social skills for disabled patients.

GABLE is the first online gaming platform for patients with CP, where they, and their caregivers and parents, can have instant access to games, join a community of peers, and share their knowledge in order to provide the best possible help for all youth with CP. The platform was built around the idea that online or multiplayer games take advantage of the motivational aspects of group activity, and can provide additional motivation and stimulate compared to single player games. The complete GABLE system and its functionalities have been tested by several CP patients in several pilot centres around Europe. The results obtained during the project shown that GABLE system have a real positive impact in the life quality of patients with Cerebral Palsy who regularly use the system. The GABLE system has been positively evaluated by Caregiver, Parents, Users and health professional working in the rehabilitation sector of CP patients.
The project activities for each work package are summarized below.

WP1 – The definition and conceptualization of game scenarios and the technical specifications for the GABLE platform and the games updating and tuning based on piloting and co-creation process were performed through the valuable cocreation process between the consortium partners and stakeholders. All of the information gathered during the project helped to improve the games and the system.

WP2 – Prototyped games and its updated versions have been developed in both cases based on piloting and also in a co-creation process. The corresponding game authoring tool for each game is provided for both developers and users/patients/doctors in order to allow them the creation of own game maps/levels for the games.

WP3 - Machine learning modules creation: The necessary infrastructure to provide other modules of the platform a remote and quick access to the machine learning functionalities has been developed. Also, the analysis module that collects data from the GABLE platform and provides statistical information, predictions and recommendation to end-users was developed, tested and integrated into the final system.

WP4 – Online platform development: The GABLE web interface that allows user to access to the platform and its functionalities was finalized. The GABLE platform was updated and improved in order to integrate all the required specifications. Thus, the final GABLE system worked as expected during the extensive testing in each one of the pilot sites.

WP5 – GABLE prototyped games and platform piloting and testing was performed by the consortium following the guidelines defined for a correct pilot execution. The valuable feedback provided during the piloting allowed to cocreate the best functionalities for patients with CP. The consortium also involved new institutions as pilot sites interested in the system testing who participated as pilot sites.

WP6 – Business identification for future market uptake: The valuable cocreation process allowed the consortium to identify the best business strategy for future market uptake using the novel and successful system developed during the GABLE project. The project results allow that the current GABLE system can be exploited in short term thanks to the system novelty and good acceptance of the system by the potential final users.

WP7 - A complete set of initial, verifiable and quantified KPIs was identified and used for evaluating GABLE core platform, implemented games and user experience. The results of the evaluated KPIs indicated that the novel GABLE system has been well accepted by the different stakeholders for rehabilitation purposes. Furthermore, the GABLE system is also a stable platform from a technical point of view which guarantees that it can continuously provide the best online service.

WP8 - Day-to-day coordination has been performed during the project in order to set, carry out, manage and monitor the functioning of the financial and administrative procedures. Thus, the consistency between the project results and the strategic objectives has been assured. During the project the GABLE system was actively disseminated. However, the GABLE consortium is committed to actively continue disseminating the project in order to reach a higher potential market for the system.

WP9 – The ethical guidelines have been followed to obtain the permissions required to develop the project in order to ensure compliance with the ethics requirements according to the corresponding laws.
GABLE is a social platform for personalized games that will dramatically enhance the living conditions of people with CP. The focus of the games is on social inclusion, to improve the physical activity of CP patients, through the use of multiplayer technologies in the creation of such games, which will facilitate the development of relationships within groups of CP patients, as well as outside these groups.

GABLE is delivered online, as a mainly subscription paid service with downloads for users’ caregivers, and clinical staff to run and administer the games locally or on the GABLE web-portal. Even though GABLE could be applied to various remedial and learning gaming markets, the exploitation strategy is to initially focus on the market of children with CP, where the partners already have experience, contacts, profile and competitive advantage. Based on success and domination of that niche, then further market opportunities will be addressed.

Investigation of the potential market of CP users for the GABLE service indicate that by 2024 it will be €18M in Europe and at least €41M outside of the EU. A secondary but important target is software developers that will be enabled to use the GABLE platform and webservices to develop further eAccessible games and services.
GABLE consortium