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The CTV video can be accessed by clicking here. Text from the CTV article that accompanied the video is pasted below.
Article By CTV Saskatoon
Date: Wednesday Mar. 30
A new wave of video games that encourage physical fitness could be on the horizon.
A group of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan is designing and testing new games that promote health and wellness.
Andre Doucette, a PHD student in the computer sciences department at the U of S, is helping to test a new video game created by a fellow student called Grab Apple.
By using his body to run, leap, and twist, Doucette can play the game, attempting to pick apples off of the computerized tree.
"You can really do different levels of intensity depending how interested you are in the game. I like the challenge so I really get into it," said Doucette.
Like many systems on the market, Grab Apple is controlled through a player's movements. As the levels increase, so does a person's heart rate and activity level.
Regan Mandryk, an assistant professor in the computer sciences department, says that unlike what's already out there, this game is designed to be played in short spurts.
"So you play for five to ten minutes when you get the opportunity and the idea is if you play three times per day then you're getting the 30 minutes of activity a day," said Mandryk.
In addition to Grab Apple, researchers are also working on games that focus on resistance training by having the player adjust their breathing and flex their muscles to control the game.
Researchers are also creating games that utilize smart phone technology to get people, especially children and their families, up and moving.
"The idea behind that one is children of active parents are six times more likely to be active themselves so if we can get families to be active together using a smart phone to encourage them to go for a walk and play a game then that will help the whole family get some exercise," said Mandryk.
Gaming systems like the Xbox Kinect, the PlayStation Move, or the Wii, have started to make fitness games fun for the whole family. Mandryk says the goal of these games isn't to replace traditional exercise or skip the gym, but rather to encourage people to add a little activity into their everyday -- in a way that is fun and enjoyable.
"What we're looking to do is get those people who are not exercising to start exercising."
Smartphones are on the cusp of being an important tool to combat public health threats in Canada and the world. Nathaniel Osgood, associate professor, and Kevin Stanley, assistant professor, both in the Department of Computer Science, have developed a smartphone app that collects important behavioral data that can be used to predict health risks — from causes of obesity and diabetes, to how tuberculosis and flu viruses may spread.
Dr. Regan Mandryk was recently featured in an article for the University of Saskatchewan for her research and thoughts on the gaming industry. Dr.Mandryk sheds light on the predicted changes in the gaming industry, including the shift in video game development and how programmers are getting involved. Check out the full article on the University of Saskatchewan's website.
Richard Lomotey, a Computer Science graduate student, has been invited to present his research at IBM's Student Workshop for Frontiers of Cloud Computing (F2C2) in New York. This workshop is intended to bring together top graduate students doing research in cloud computing and IBM researchers with similar interests. Fifteen students have been invited from around the world to present & attend at this workshop. Richard will be presenting his research on Mobile Cloud Computing with Dr. Ralph Deters. This is a distinguished honour and we are very excited for Richard!
Sanjay Bakshi, a Computer Science alumni from the University of Saskathchewan, was recently featured in an article in The Sheaf. Sanjay is the Supervising Technical Director at Pixar and talks about his career and recent films. His most recent project is the highly anticipted movie Monsters University. Check out the full article on The Sheafs website.
Richard Lomotey, a Computer Science graduate student, has been invited to present his research at IBM's Student Workshop for Frontiers of Cloud Computing (F2C2) in New York. This workshop is intended to bring together top graduate students doing research in cloud computing and IBM researchers with similar interests. Fifteen students have been invited from around the world to present & attend at this workshop. Richard will be presenting his research on Mobile Cloud Computing with Dr. Ralph Deters.
Digitized is a conference for upper-year high school students from Saskatoon and surrounding area who are interested in careers in Comnputer Science. The day involves a series of various speakers from the industry and communinty, as well as hands-on workshops and project demo's. This year, we are extecting over 300 students to attend this exciting conference. This year, Digitized will take place on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at the University of Saskatchewan.
The Department of Computer Science is proud to invite Dr. Diego Zapata-Rivera to speak at the 2013 P.G. Sorenson Distinguished Graduate Lecture. The field of educational assessment benefits from contributions in several domains including: cognitive science, measurement science, computer science, and instructional science. Dr. Zapata-Rivera will describe how his early research at the ARIES lab has informed his work on designing, implementing, and evaluating new generation assessments over the past ten years. Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 1:00 p.m. Room 134, Arts Building Everyone is welcome to attend. This is a public event!
Congratulations to Daniel Neilson, who was one of the 2012-13 winners for the USSU Teaching Excellence Awards! Selected by students, the Teaching Excellence Award recognizes those who have demonstrated enthusiasm, organization and fairness in evaluation, providing exceptional commitment and support to their classrooms.
The Department of Computer Science is now offering an
exciting and valuable introduction course for University students.
The course is titled "Digital Document Processing" and it allows
students to master the skills required to effectively use digital
documents such as Microsoft Office. Students will become familiar
with basic and advanced document preparation, spreadsheets, and
data presentation. The class also extends practice into emerging
tools such as Dropbox and Cloud Computing. Computer literacy is
must-have requirement in today's industry and this class will
prepare students with the tools and knowledge to obtain successful
academic and future careers.
