Latest news from Loughborough University
| 19 September 2007 | PR 07/119 |
Interactive playground product i.play set to revolutionise outdoor play
Revolutionary high-tech play equipment to engage the ‘Playstation generation’ has just been launched in a bid to tackle childhood obesity by encouraging exercise that’s both challenging and fun.
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With one in four children in the UK already overweight or obese1, finding new ways of encouraging children to get fitter has never been so important. The inventors of i.play believe that the fast-paced feedback and constantly changing goals of electronic gaming hold the key to children enjoying challenging physical activity without realising how hard they are working.
In 2004, leading UK play equipment manufacturer Playdale approached Progressive Sports Technologies (Progressive), a spin out company from Loughborough University, with a track record of developing innovative equipment, footwear and apparel for global brands such as Canterbury, Nike and Reebok. The brief, to develop a new piece of equipment to encourage energetic play, quickly evolved into a concept that taps into the enduring popularity of computer gaming.
In a game of up to six children, i.play issues each player or team with a sequence of tasks to test speed, agility, coordination, strength and stamina by running, jumping and twisting to hit the high, low and mid-positioned activity switches. Like a games console, it offers multiple levels of difficulty so players can improve their skill and view statistics to monitor their performance both during and after the game. Children can upload their scores to the online league table at http://www.intelligentplay.co.uk. Although developed for a core 8-14 age group, i.play is also suitable for adults, wheelchair users as well as visually and hearing impaired players.
Progressive used heart rate monitors on both adults and children to test both the prototype equipment and software to make sure i.play enabled children to exercise at appropriate levels of intensity. “Stealth exercise is at the heart of i.play technology,” says Professor Mike Caine, Managing Director of Progressive and i.play co-inventor. He continues, “If you make play equipment interesting enough, children will push the boundaries of their abilities in just the same way as they do with computer gaming as they are so focused on improving their score. This distracts children from the discomfort of high intensity exercise, making them more likely to exercise for longer or harder, which in turn maximises the health benefits.”
Barry Leahey, director of Playdale agrees: “The leisure industry is aware of how important it is to promote a healthier lifestyle for kids, but finding initiatives that have a real impact on children’s behaviour – particularly their exercise levels – is a real challenge. Competitive sport tends to nurture only first team players, which inevitably means some kids feel left out. Next generation equipment like i.play is both competitive and inclusive. It puts the fun back into fitness for a nation of children weaned on TV and videogames.”
The research into stealth exercise continues, a wearable oxygen analyser is being used to assess how many calories children are burning on two i.play systems already in use in Leicester and Barrow in Furness. Progressive’s design engineer and i.play co-inventor, Phil Hodgkins, has spent the last two years researching and developing the i.play concept as part of a PhD programme undertaken within Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Research Group, supervised by Professors Mike Caine and Steve Rothberg, Dean of Engineering. Phil explains that the layout and ergonomics of the activity switches are the key to creating play equipment that is challenging and fun for all abilities: “The placement of activity switches is an important aspect of the design as we want to get users to perform movements requiring a large range of motion to progressively higher levels of physical exertion, yet they need to be easily accessible for most people to ensure the game is as inclusive as possible.”
i.play’s potential has impressed Walkers, part of PepsiCo, so much
that it has installed it as a feature of its ‘Parks for Life’
initiative. The first of these playgrounds featuring i.play were officially
opened earlier this month by Gary Lineker in Reading and Leicester. Neil
Campbell, Chief Executive, Walkers Crisps, said, “We have worked
closely with Playdale to design a playground that will be relevant to
today’s young families and become an important space for the community.
It was really important for us that we created an area that was both fun
and safe whilst encouraging children to be physically active. We’ve
had a really positive response to the playgrounds so far and hope that
they will be enjoyed by local families for years to come.”
The research team responsible for conceptualising, developing and validating
i.play has been delighted with the positive feedback received from children
using the product. Professor Caine is full of praise for Playdale who
has taken the concept to market, having established manufacturing capability
within its Lake District head quarters. He adds, “The fact that
Walkers has made i.play a feature of its Parks for Life initiative is
testament to the credibility of i.play. All those involved with the project
are delighted with the end result and excited to be making a positive
impact upon the lives of children across the UK.”
ENDS
For all media enquiries contact:
- Anna Seddon, Marketig & Communications Manager,
Loughborough University Enterprise Office,
T: 01509 223445, E: A.J.Seddon@lboro.ac.uk - Judy Smyth, Loughborough University’s Public Relations
Office,
T: 01509 228697, E: J.L.Smyth@lboro.ac.uk
Notes for editors:
1. The i.play equipment can be seen in use in Leicester,
Reading and Barrow in Furness. Mike Caine and Phil Hodgkins are available
for interview. Please contact Anna Seddon to arrange for filming / photography
/ interviews.
2. A selection of print quality colour photographs are available to download
from the Progressive Sports Technologies website.
3. About Progressive Sports Technologies (http://www.progressivesports.co.uk)
Progressive Sports Technologies (Progressive) is an innovation partner
to many global brands and smaller organisations in the sport and leisure
sector. A spin out company from Loughborough University’s world-leading
Sports Technology Research Group (http://www.sports-technology.co.uk),
PST is based in the £15M Sports Technology Institute, Loughborough
University’s exciting new venture with East Midlands Development
Agency (emda) to boost enterprise in the sport and leisure sector and
develop cutting-edge technology to assist elite athletes in preparation
for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
4. About Playdale
Playdale has been at the forefront of designing and building innovative,
stimulating, inclusive and exciting outdoor playground equipment for almost
thirty years. With over 12,000 playgrounds installed around the world,
Playdale has been behind a number of flagship installations including
Hyde Park.
5. About PepsiCo
PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) is one of the world’s largest food and
beverage companies, with 2006 annual revenues of more than $35 billion.
The company operates in nearly 200 countries, and employs more than 168,000
people worldwide. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks,
Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker
foods. The PepsiCo portfolio includes 17 brands that generate $1 billion
or more each in annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s commitment to sustainable growth,
defined as Performance with Purpose, is focused on generating healthy
financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves.
This includes meeting consumer needs for a spectrum of convenient foods
and beverages, replenishing the environment through water, energy and
packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse
and inclusive environment that recruits and retains world-class talent.
The company is listed on the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index.
For more information, please visit http://www.pepsico.com
6. Reference:
(1) Currie C et al., eds. Young people’s health in context. Health
Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: international report from
the 2001/2002 survey. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2004
7. About the University
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with
an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong
links with industry and unrivalled sporting achievement.
It is a member of the esteemed 1994 Group – a set of internationally
recognised, research intensive universities – and has a reputation
for the relevance of its work. Its degree programmes are highly regarded
by professional institutions and businesses, and its graduates are consistently
targeted by the UK’s top recruiters.
Loughborough is also the UK’s premier university for sport. It has
perhaps the best integrated sports development environment in the world
and is home to some of the country’s leading coaches, sports scientists
and support staff. It also has the country’s largest concentration
of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports.
In the 2007 National Student Survey, the University was voted fourth in
the UK, with 23 out of 29 of Loughborough’s subject areas being
ranked in the top ten for overall satisfaction. Loughborough is also ranked
in the top five of UK universities in national league tables and was named
winner of the 2006 THES award for the UK’s Best Student Experience.
In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been
awarded five Queen's Anniversary Prizes – an achievement bettered
by no other university.