Microsoft Xbox Research Articles

Effects of Microsoft X-Box Kinect™ on children with cystic fibrosis: exercise or just fun?

Effects of Microsoft X-Box Kinect™ on children with cystic fibrosis: exercise or just fun?

Reliability and concurrent validity of the Microsoft Xbox One Kinect for assessment of standing balance and postural control

The Microsoft Kinect V2 for Windows™, also known as the Xbox One Kinect, includes new and potentially far improved depth and image sensors which may increase its accuracy for assessing postural control and balance. The aim of this study was to assess the concurrent validity and reliability of kinematic data recorded using a marker-based three dimensional motion analysis (3DMA) system and the Kinect V2 during a variety of static and dynamic balance assessments. Thirty healthy adults performed two sessions, separated by one week, consisting of static standing balance tests under different visual (eyes open vs. closed) and supportive (single limb vs. double limb) conditions, and dynamic balance tests consisting of forward and lateral reach and an assessment of limits of stability. Marker coordinate and joint angle data were concurrently recorded using the Kinect V2 skeletal tracking algorithm and the 3DMA system. Task-specific outcome measures from each system on Day 1 and 2 were compared. Concurrent validity of trunk angle data during the dynamic tasks and anterior–posterior range and path length in the static balance tasks was excellent (Pearson's r>0.75). In contrast, concurrent validity for medial–lateral range and path length was poor to modest for all trials except single leg eyes closed balance. Within device test–retest reliability was variable; however, the results were generally comparable between devices. In conclusion, the Kinect V2 has the potential to be used as a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of some aspects of balance performance.

Balance Rehabilitation using Xbox Kinect among an Elderly Population: A Pilot Study

With the current aging of the population, falls among the elderly has become a major concern for health care professionals. One major component of fall prevention is balance training, which could be achieved using the Microsoft Xbox Kinect. This video game platform uses motion sensors to capture participants’ movements and to provide visual feedback. In addition to its use for recreational purposes, it has the potential to be a great home-based tool for balance rehabilitation. The objectives of the current study are to assess its efficacy as a single tool for balance training, as well as measuring the population’s interest in this approach. Three participants with balance problem were included in this multiple-case study. They all completed the standardised 10-week program consisting of two 30-minute sessions of balance training through Kinect per week in addition to their usual multidisciplinary treatments. They were evaluated before the intervention (T0) and immediately after (T1). The following outcomes were assessed: 1) balance (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]), 2) mobility (Timed Up-and-Go [TUG]), 3) walking speed on 5m, 4), lower limb strength (Sit-to- Stand [STS]), 5) fear of falling (Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale [ABC Scale]) and 6) satisfaction (modified Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology [QUEST]). We observed an improvement in BBS, TUG and ABC scores for every participant. However, the STS score improved for two of the three participants and the walking speed stayed the same for everybody. Moreover, all of the participants were satisfied with their experience. Overall, the results showed that the Xbox Kinect could be a great adjunct to a multidisciplinary treatment to improve balance. Nevertheless, high-quality studies with more powerful designs are needed to prove the efficacy and applicability of this approach for balance rehabilitation.

Active video games: Are they an effective approach to reducing sedentary time and increasing physical activity in children?

Introduction: There is widespread community concern that children spend too much time being sedentary and too little time being physically active. Leisure time screen use is thought to be a major contributor to children's activity profiles, with TV viewing, computer use and electronic games commonly responsible for considerable sedentary exposure. Many children spend 30–90 min per day playing electronic games. Whilst traditional electronic games require very little body movement, active video games such as Microsoft Xbox Kinect, Sony PlayStation Move and Nintendo Wii require arm, leg or torso movement. Replacing sedentary electronic game time with active video game time may be an effective strategy to improve children's activity profiles whilst allowing them the enjoyment of playing electronic games. Playing active video games may be useful by direct replacement of sedentary time with activity, or via indirect pathways of improved attitudes towards self and activity or improved motor skills.

Children with developmental coordination disorder play active virtual reality games differently than children with typical development.

Active virtual reality gaming (AVG) may be useful for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) to practice motor skills if their movement patterns are of good quality while engaged in AVG. This study aimed to examine: (1) the quality of motor patterns of children with DCD participating in AVG by comparing them with children with typical development (TD) and (2) whether differences existed in the motor patterns utilized with 2 AVG types: Sony PlayStation 3 Move and Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect. This was a quasi-experimental, biomechanical laboratory-based study. Twenty-one children with DCD, aged 10 to 12 years, and 19 age- and sex-matched children with TD played a match of table tennis on each AVG type. Hand path, wrist angle, and elbow angle were recorded using a motion analysis system. Linear mixed-model analyses were used to determine differences between DCD and TD groups and Move and Kinect AVG type for forehands and backhands. Children with DCD utilized a slower hand path speed (backhand mean difference [MD]=1.20 m/s; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]=0.41, 1.98); greater wrist extension (forehand MD=34.3°; 95% CI=22.6, 47.0); and greater elbow flexion (forehand MD=22.3°; 95% CI=7.4, 37.1) compared with children with TD when engaged in AVG. There also were differences in movement patterns utilized between AVG types. Only simple kinematic measures were compared, and no data regarding movement outcome were assessed. If a therapeutic treatment goal is to promote movement quality in children with DCD, clinical judgment is required to select the most appropriate AVG type and determine whether movement quality is adequate for unsupervised practice.

Evaluating microphones and microphone placement for signal processing and automatic speech recognition of teacher-student dialog

We evaluate a variety of audio recording techniques for a project on the automatic analysis of speech dialog in middle school and high school classrooms. In our scenario, the teacher wears a headset microphone or a lapel microphone. A second microphone is then used to collect speech and related sounds from students in the classroom. Various boundary microphones, omni-directional microphones, and cardioid microphones are tested as this second classroom microphone. A commercial microphone array [Microsoft Xbox Kinect] is also tested. We report on how well digital source-separation techniques work for segregating the teacher and student speech signals from one another based on these various microphones and placements. We also test the recordings using various automatic speech recognition engines for word recognition error rates under different levels of background noise. Preliminary results indicate one boundary microphone, the Crown PZM-30, to be superior for the classroom recordings. This is based on its performance at capturing near and distant student signals for ASR in noisy conditions, as measured by ASR error rates across different ASR engines.

Emopad: An Affective Gamepad

Affective Systems have been used in different applications, such as stress monitoring in aircraft seats and managing sensitivity in autism spectrum disorder. Although many scientific progresses have been made there are many computational challenges to be overcome in order to embedded affectivity into traditional user interfaces. For example, context-sensitive algorithms, low-complexity pattern recognition models and hardware customizations are requirements to support the simplification of user’s experience becoming more intuitive, transparent and less obstructive. In this paper an affective gamepad is presented. This acquisition system has been developed to improve user’s biofeedback when they are playing games on Microsoft Xbox or Sony PlayStation. The preliminary version of Emopad is able to capture Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Temperature, Force, Heart Rate (HR) and its variability (HRV) by photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor while complementary algorithms are executed to filter noise, recognize interests patterns and classify events related to user’s emotional states. All processing phases are embedded into Emopad, and they explore microcontroller’s dynamic power management. Emopad has been developed to deal with energy-efficient and platform-independent requirements. Concerning to this paper’s aim, the acquisition systems development is highlighted. Also, the sliding window-based algorithm is presented and evaluated. It has been applied after sampling in GSR, Force, Temperature and HR signals to detect events related to emotional responses. The success of affective gamepads can lead to a paradigm shift, because traditional consoles can be configured to work as Point-of-Care technologies. Consequently, they can receive, process and transmit physiological data and events related to clinical conditions about their users.

Forecasting Online Auctions via Self‐Exciting Point Processes

ABSTRACTModeling online auction prices is a popular research topic among statisticians and marketing analysts. Recent research mainly focuses on two directions: one is the functional data analysis (FDA) approach, in which the price–time relationship is modeled by a smooth curve, and the other is the point process approach, which directly models the arrival process of bidders and bids. In this paper, a novel model for the bid arrival process using a self‐exciting point process (SEPP) is proposed and applied to forecast auction prices. The FDA and point process approaches are linked together by using functional data analysis technique to describe the intensity of the bid arrival point process. Using the SEPP to model the bid arrival process, many stylized facts in online auction data can be captured. We also develop a simulation‐based forecasting procedure using the estimated SEPP intensity and historical bidding increment. In particular, prediction interval for the terminal price of merchandise can be constructed. Applications to eBay auction data of Harry Potter books and Microsoft Xbox show that the SEPP model provides more accurate and more informative forecasting results than traditional methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identifying Potential Usability Challenges for Xbox 360 Kinect Exergames for Older Adults

Many older adults could benefit from additional exercise. In 2011, over 54% of adults between the ages of 65 and 74 and 68% of adults ages 75 and above did not meet the 2008 U.S. Federal Physical Activity guidelines for either aerobic or muscle strengthening activities, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (Schiller, Lucas, & Peregoy, 2012, p. 100). Exergames, video games where players engage in physical activity, could help older adults elevate their levels of physical activity in order to gain associated health benefits. However, most exergames on the market are not designed for older users. Two exergames for Microsoft Xbox 360 with Kinect were evaluated using heuristic task analysis and heuristic evaluation with consideration of older adults’ abilities and limitations. Implications for developing training programs to maximize effective use of exergames for older adults are discussed.

Quantifying Fundamental Movement Skills During Active Video Games

This study sought to explore the type of fundamental movement skills (FMS) performed during Active Video Game (AVG) play, as well as the frequency with which these FMS are performed. In addition, this study aimed to determine the relationship between FMS performance and energy expenditure during 15 min of AVG play across two Microsoft Xbox Kinect AVGs. Fundamental movement skills were observed via video by two raters and energy expenditure derived using Actiheart monitors in children aged 10–15 years. Six different FMS were observed during AVG play with differences in the number of FMS performed between the two AVGs. The overall energy expended (Joules/kg/minute), however, was similar between the AVGs, suggesting the frequency of FMS did not influence overall energy expended during play. The movements observed during AVG play that possibly accounted for the energy expenditure, were not of a quality that could be classified as FMS. This research demonstrates that children playing these two games have the opportunity to repeatedly perform mostly two FMS, namely jumping and dodging. The goal of the AVGs, however, could be achieved with generalized movements that did not always meet the criteria to be classified as a FMS.

Active video gaming in patients with renal transplant: a pilot study.

BackgroundPatients with renal transplant are at higher risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population. Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of CVD mortality in these patients. Unfortunately, barriers such as the harsh Canadian climate prevent patients from engaging in and harvesting the health benefits of physical activity. This pilot study explored active video gaming (AVG) as a way for patients with renal transplant to obtain physical activity and examined its effect on their functional status and quality of life (QOL).Main textWe recruited nine patients for an 8-week prospective pilot study. All patients received a Microsoft Xbox 360™ video gaming console, a Microsoft Kinect™ sensor, and the video game Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. Assessment of each participant before and after the intervention included blood pressure measures, a 6-minute walk test, and the Godin Leisure Time Questionnaire (GLTQ). We analyzed all nine patients at the end of the 8-week study period, and found no changes in blood pressure or GLTQ scores. However, there was a significant increase in the 6-minute walk distance (P = 0.022), which represented a consistent increase for most patients (correlation = 0.977). In addition, participants over the age of 45 years (n = 4) were more likely to use the AVG system (P = 0.042).ConclusionAVG has the potential to improve the functional status in patients with renal transplant. Further research is required to corroborate the full health benefits of AVG in this patient population.

Cooperative mode: Comparative storage metadata verification applied to the Xbox 360

This work addresses the question of determining the correctness of forensic file system analysis software. Current storage systems are built on theory that is robust but not invincible to faults, from software, hardware, or adversaries. Given a parsing of a storage system of unknown provenance, the lack of a sound and complete analytic theory means the parsing's correctness cannot be proven. However, with recent advances in digital forensic theory, a measure of its incorrectness can be taken.We present FSNView, an N-Version programming utility. FSNView reports exhaustively the metadata of a single disk image, using multiple storage system parsers. Each parser reports its perspective of the metadata in Digital Forensics XML, a storage language used recently in a study on differential analysis. We repurpose the tools used for studying the changes in file systems from time to the changes in file systems from perspective. The differences in metadata summaries immediately note bugs in at least one of the tools employed. Diversity in tools and their analysis algorithms strengthens the analysis of a storage subject.We apply file system differencing to study the external storage of the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console. The console's storage serves as an exemplar analysis subject; the described strategy is general to storage system analysis. The custom volume management and new-though-familiar file system are features typical to an embedded system analysis. Two open-source utilities developed solely for analyzing this game console, and a third developed for general file system forensics, are extended to compare storage system metadata perspectives. We present a new file system and revisions to the DFXML language, library, and differencing process, which were necessary to enable a principled, automatic evaluation of storage analysis tools.

Human Machine Interface in Weld Seam Detection Using an RGB-D Camera

The set-up time in robotic welding needs to be reduced so that it can be used for limited production runs. One challenge in achieving this reduction is the automatic localisation of the weld seam. A method is developed in this paper to locate the weld seams by human-machine interface. In particular, this method uses an RGB-Depth sensor, such as the Microsoft XBOX Kinect sensor, to identify a human hand that is pointing at the weld seam. A ‘hybrid hand detector’ is developed to recognise the human hand and fingers using both the depth and colour information. In turn it enables the identification of the weld seam. Experimental results shown that the weld seam can be reliably identified using the proposed method at near real time speeds.

Keeping up with video game technology: Objective analysis of Xbox Kinect™ and PlayStation 3 Move™ for use in burn rehabilitation

Commercially available interactive video games are commonly used in rehabilitation to aide in physical recovery from a variety of conditions and injuries, including burns. Most video games were not originally designed for rehabilitation purposes and although some games have shown therapeutic potential in burn rehabilitation, the physical demands of more recently released video games, such as Microsoft Xbox Kinect™ (Kinect) and Sony PlayStation 3 Move™ (PS Move), have not been objectively evaluated. Video game technology is constantly evolving and demonstrating different immersive qualities and interactive demands that may or may not have therapeutic potential for patients recovering from burns. This study analyzed the upper extremity motion demands of Kinect and PS Move using three-dimensional motion analysis to determine their applicability in burn rehabilitation. Thirty normal children played each video game while real-time movement of their upper extremities was measured to determine maximal excursion and amount of elevation time. Maximal shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction and elbow flexion range of motion were significantly greater while playing Kinect than the PS Move (p≤0.01). Elevation time of the arms above 120° was also significantly longer with Kinect (p<0.05). The physical demands for shoulder and elbow range of motion while playing the Kinect, and to a lesser extent PS Move, are comparable to functional motion needed for daily tasks such as eating with a utensil and hair combing. Therefore, these more recently released commercially available video games show therapeutic potential in burn rehabilitation. Objectively quantifying the physical demands of video games commonly used in rehabilitation aides clinicians in the integration of them into practice and lays the framework for further research on their efficacy.

Fast Random‐Forest‐Based Human Pose Estimation Using a Multi‐scale and Cascade Approach

Since the recent launch of Microsoft Xbox Kinect, research on 3D human pose estimation has attracted a lot of attention in the computer vision community. Kinect shows impressive estimation accuracy and real‐time performance on massive graphics processing unit hardware. In this paper, we focus on further reducing the computation complexity of the existing state‐of‐the‐art method to make the real‐time 3D human pose estimation functionality applicable to devices with lower computing power. As a result, we propose two simple approaches to speed up the random‐forest‐based human pose estimation method. In the original algorithm, the random forest classifier is applied to all pixels of the segmented human depth image. We first use a multi‐scale approach to reduce the number of such calculations. Second, the complexity of the random forest classification itself is decreased by the proposed cascade approach. Experiment results for real data show that our method is effective and works in real time (30 fps) without any parallelization efforts.

Manipulation of hard drive firmware to conceal entire partitions

Tools created by the computer hacking community to circumvent security protection on hard drives can have unintentional consequences for digital forensics. Tools originally developed to circumvent Microsoft's Xbox 360 hard drive protection can be used, independently of the Xbox 360 system, to change the reported size/model of a hard drive enabling criminals to hide data from digital forensic software and hardware. The availability of such concealment methods raises the risk of evidence being overlooked, particularly as triage and on-scene inspections of digital media become more common. This paper presents two case studies demonstrating the process using Western Digital and Fujitsu branded drives. It outlines the difficulties faced by standard computer forensic analysis techniques in revealing the true nature of the drive and finally provides suggestions for extra checks to reveal this type of concealment.

New-Generation Active Videogaming Maintains Energy Expenditure in Children Across Repeated Bouts

Active videogames (AVGs) remain popular among 10-15-year-old children. The Xbox 360 Kinect™ from Microsoft (Redmond, WA) represents a new generation of AVGs where body movements are used to control gameplay. The purpose of this study was to measure energy expenditure required to play repeated bouts of six Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect games ("Motion Sports Adrenaline™," "Sonic Free Riders™," "Virtua Tennis 4™," "Kinect Sports™," "Kinect Adventures™," and "Just Dance 3™"). Forty-seven children (between 10 and 15 years) participated in a repeated-measures experiment, completing five 1-hour sessions (one familiarization and four separate gaming sessions). Three different AVGs were played for 15 minutes during each gaming session in a counterbalanced order. An Actiheart (CamNtech Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom) was used to monitor heart rate and acceleration during gameplay. Average energy expended across the six AVGs during 15 minutes of gameplay was 3.0±0.17 metabolic equivalents/minute, significantly higher than resting energy expenditure (P<0.01). Similar levels of energy expenditure were observed between the first and fourth gaming session for all six games, although the energy expenditure between each game over the four sessions was similar. Boys expended more energy than girls within each AVG and across the four gaming sessions. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect games in this study were found to elicit moderate-intensity exercise over four gaming sessions, with no decay in energy expenditure over several gaming sessions. Although small differences in the energy expenditure between the six Microsoft Xbox Kinect games were found, they are all likely to contribute toward reduced sitting time in children.

Women with fibromyalgia’s experience with three motion-controlled video game consoles and indicators of symptom severity and performance of activities of daily living

Purpose: Little is known of Motion-Controlled Video Games (MCVGs) as an intervention for people with chronic pain. The aim of this study was to explore the experience women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) had, using commercially available MCVGs; and to investigate indicators of symptom severity and performance of activities of daily living (ADL). Method: Of 15 female participants diagnosed with FMS, 7 completed a program of five sessions with Nintendo Wii (Wii), five sessions with PlayStation 3 Move (PS3 Move) and five sessions with Microsoft Xbox Kinect (Xbox Kinect). Interviews were conducted at baseline and post-intervention and were supported by data from observation and self-reported assessment. Results: Participants experienced play with MCVGs as a way to get distraction from pain symptoms while doing fun and manageable exercise. They enjoyed the slow pace and familiarity of Wii, while some considered PS3 Move to be too fast paced. Xbox Kinect was reported as the best console for exercise. There were no indication of general improvement in symptom severity or performance of ADL. Conclusion: This study demonstrated MCVG as an effective healthcare intervention for the women with FMS who completed the program, with regards to temporary pain relief and enjoyable low impact exercise.Implications for RehabilitationExercise is recommended in the management of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).People with FMS often find it counterintuitive to exercise because of pain exacerbation, which may influence adherence to an exercise program.Motion-controlled video games may offer temporary pain relief and fun low impact exercise for women with FMS.

Applying Fuzzy Logic for Optimal Placement of XBOX Kinect Sensors for Industrial Applications

Automated acquisition of sensing data is an active research area in manufacturing domain. A great deal of research work has been focused on automated data acquisitionapplied to various subjects related to manufacturing operations such as safety, performance improvement, monitoring and layout planning. Laser scanners including Time of Flight cameras play a significant role in real time or near real time decision makings in manufacturing automation. To establish an automated sensing system in a work place, enough test data should be available regarding the performance characteristics. This paper investigates the performance of Microsoft XBOX Kinect on spatial modeling in large jobsites, and employs fuzzy logic to find optimal placement of Kinect sensors that gives the best resolution.

Video game–based coordinative training improves ataxia in children with degenerative ataxia

Degenerative ataxias in children present a rare condition where effective treatments are lacking. Intensive coordinative training based on physiotherapeutic exercises improves degenerative ataxia in adults, but such exercises have drawbacks for children, often including a lack of motivation for high-frequent physiotherapy. Recently developed whole-body controlled video game technology might present a novel treatment strategy for highly interactive and motivational coordinative training for children with degenerative ataxias. We examined the effectiveness of an 8-week coordinative training for 10 children with progressive spinocerebellar ataxia. Training was based on 3 Microsoft Xbox Kinect video games particularly suitable to exercise whole-body coordination and dynamic balance. Training was started with a laboratory-based 2-week training phase and followed by 6 weeks training in children's home environment. Rater-blinded assessments were performed 2 weeks before laboratory-based training, immediately prior to and after the laboratory-based training period, as well as after home training. These assessments allowed for an intraindividual control design, where performance changes with and without training were compared. Ataxia symptoms were significantly reduced (decrease in Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia score, p = 0.0078) and balance capacities improved (dynamic gait index, p = 0.04) after intervention. Quantitative movement analysis revealed improvements in gait (lateral sway: p = 0.01; step length variability: p = 0.01) and in goal-directed leg placement (p = 0.03). Despite progressive cerebellar degeneration, children are able to improve motor performance by intensive coordination training. Directed training of whole-body controlled video games might present a highly motivational, cost-efficient, and home-based rehabilitation strategy to train dynamic balance and interaction with dynamic environments in a large variety of young-onset neurologic conditions. This study provides Class III evidence that directed training with Xbox Kinect video games can improve several signs of ataxia in adolescents with progressive ataxia as measured by SARA score, Dynamic Gait Index, and Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale at 8 weeks of training.