Abstract
This paper presents a novel Procedural Content Generation (PCG) method aiming at achieving personalization and adaptation in serious games (SG) for health. The PCG method is based on a genetic algorithm (GA) and provides individualized content in the form of tailored messages and SG missions, taking into consideration data collected from health-related sensors and user interaction with the SG. The PCG method has been integrated into the ENDORSE platform, which harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI), m-health and gamification mechanisms, towards implementing a multicomponent (diet, physical activity, educational, behavioral) intervention for the management of childhood obesity. Within the use of the ENDORSE platform, a pre-pilot study has been conducted, involving the recruitment of 20 obese children that interacted with the platform for a period of twelve weeks. The obtained results, provide a preliminary justification of PCG’s effectiveness in terms of generating individualized content with sufficient relevance and usefulness. Additionally, a statistically significant correlation has been revealed between the content provided by the proposed PCG technique and lifestyle-related sensing data, highlighting the potential of the PCG’s capabilities in identifying and addressing the needs of a specific user.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported within the framework of the ENDORSE project, which is funded by the NSRF. Grant agreement: T1EΔΚ-03695.
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Kalafatis, E. et al. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Based Procedural Content Generation in Serious Games for Health: The Case of Childhood Obesity. In: Cunha, A., M. Garcia, N., Marx Gómez, J., Pereira, S. (eds) Wireless Mobile Communication and Healthcare. MobiHealth 2022. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 484. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32029-3_19
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