Issue:
Back pain accounts for 33% of all Canadian workers’ compensation claims. Improper lifting techniques can lead to acute low back injuries and chronic low back disability. Virtual reality simulations and video games are used as a form of teaching in many occupational settings.
Objectives:
• To develop a prototype of an interactive serious game using posture-tracking technology to provide an effective educational and reinforcement tool for fire fighters to learn correct lifting techniques for specific tasks.
• Characterize the various fire fighting tasks required by fire fighters to perform at typical call scenarios.
• Assess the level of risk associated with performing the various tasks so that the most relevant tasks can be selected for further use in the prototype.
• Development of a serious game prototype for fire fighters implementing the various lifting techniques required during numerous call scenarios as well as in the fire hall depicting the correct techniques to be utilized.
• Gather preliminary data on the forces being applied when performing the functional tasks, so that the actual forces can later be incorporated into higher levels of the game
Anticipated Results:
Using well-understood video game design methodologies, the researchers intend to create a compelling environment that engages fire-fighters in a training regime that is fun, exciting, competitive, and has minimal entry barriers (i.e. no need to wear motion capture markers, little to no setup).
Investigators:
Andrew Hogue (University of Ontario Institute of Technology)