Development and Usability Study of Older Adults in Motion-Captured Serious Game Incorporating Olfactory Stimulations

2026-03-22

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of effective, quantifiable non-pharmacological tools for assessing cognitive and motor functions in older adults by developing and validating SENDO, a virtual reality serious game integrating visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli. Grounded in a teahouse-themed task paradigm and leveraging motion capture technology, SENDO enables fine-grained evaluation of cognitive-motor performance through hierarchically structured tasks of increasing complexity. Notably, it is the first multisensory interactive system for older adults to incorporate olfactory cues. Evaluation results demonstrate high system usability (82/100), with task performance significantly modulated by age as cognitive-motor load increases. The study further establishes preliminary normative baselines for predicting mild cognitive impairment risk, thereby validating SENDO’s efficacy and innovation as both an assessment and intervention tool.

Technology Category

Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational CreativityIntelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor FusionHumans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters

Application Category

Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metricsSecurity and Privacy: Large-scale security measurementsUser Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems

Abstract

SENSO is a motion-captured virtual reality serious game utilizing multisensory (visual, auditory, olfactory) stimuli to enhance cognitive and motor functions in older adults. This study evaluated its usability and performance among healthy seniors to establish normative baselines for predicting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia risk. Methods: Forty-one older adults (aged 60 and older) completed three teahouse-themed tasks: Dim Sum (selection and placement), Steamer (timing and sequencing), and Cashier (counting and transactions). Usability was assessed via the System Usability Scale (SUS), alongside age-stratified performance metrics (accuracy, completion time) from system logs. Results: Usability was rated highly (mean SUS score = 82/100). Performance varied by task complexity: the Dim Sum task showed no age-related differences, the Cashier task showed moderate decline trends, and the Steamer task revealed significant age-related declines due to higher cognitive and motor demands. Conclusion: SENSO demonstrates strong usability and provides effective baselines for cognitive assessment. Adapting complex tasks - such as enhancing olfactory cues in the Steamer game - can optimize its therapeutic efficacy as a non-pharmacological intervention for cognitive preservation.

Problem

• serious game
• mild cognitive impairment
• olfactory stimulation
• cognitive assessment
• older adults

Innovation

• multisensory serious game
• olfactory stimulation
• motion capture
• cognitive assessment
• older adults