8BITWALK
Physical Computing, Ardunio
Team:
Rishi, Raj Patil, Unnati Doshi, Sakshi Lunawat
Ardunio
Tools Used:
Research, Coding, Assemble
Role:
Background
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common experiences include hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things that are not there) and delusions (fixed, false beliefs). About 0.3 to 0.7% of people are affected by schizophrenia during their lifetimes. In 2017 there were an estimated 23.6 million cases globally.
Schizophrenia is treatable. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. However, most people with schizophrenia lack access to treatment. There is clear evidence that old-style mental hospitals are not effective in providing the treatment that people with mental disorders need and violate the basic human rights of persons with mental disorders. Efforts to transfer care from mental health institutions to the community need to be expanded and accelerated. The engagement of family members and the wider community in providing support is critical. Programmes in several low- and middle-income countries (e.g. Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Pakistan and the United Republic of Tanzania) have demonstrated the feasibility of providing care to people with severe mental illness.
User Study
We visited the "Schizophrenia Awareness Association, Dhayari, Pune" to learn more about schizophrenia and dealing with the patients. The purpose of the visit was to understand schizophrenia better. Also, the activities carried out at the rehabilitation centre for recovering schizophrenic patients it could help us to understand the real-life problems they face. The centre conducts therapy sessions like drawing, painting, group activities, and games with the objective of social interaction, increasing problem-solving skills, entertainment, and rejuvenation, helping to improve confidence, self-esteem, attention and concentration.
Solution
8BITWALK is a game that targets schizophrenia patients. It helps the user to improve coordination and also increase physical activity.
Schizophrenia & Physical Health
People with schizophrenia have higher rates of obesity and related diseases. Regular exercise is crucial. Walking is a safe and proven option, with potential weight loss benefits.
Gamification for Motivation:
Gamification can boost motivation for healthy habits. 8BITWALK is a program that utilizes gamification to improve core brain functions for daily activities, like confidence and coordination. The user simply walks - 8BITWALK takes care of the rest.
Conclusion
Our experience with Arduino included a lot of trial and error in the code as well as the connections with Arduino Uno. The game that we designed can be a good measure to help in the treatment of schizophrenia by keeping the patients engaged in a physical activity to curb hallucinations, improving concentration and their attention span, mood rejuvenating and lastly, improving their confidence which helps in their therapy. It is also very affordable and would cost around ₹1200 approximately.
This solution has its limitations. As it cannot be helpful to every type of schizophernic patient. It can only be helpful for recovering patients with mild schizophernia. Also the game cannot be played for a long time.