- Fizzees are a wearable technology that combines sensors, a processor, battery and screen to track children's physical activity levels and display a virtual pet. - The virtual pet's health and development depends on the activity levels of the child based on readings from a heart rate monitor and accelerometer. - Early research with children found they enjoyed caring for their virtual pet and increased their exercise to help their pet grow, indicating Fizzees may be an effective way to motivate children to be more physically active.

1. Fizzees ( Phys ical E lectronic E nergiser s )

2. rationale Fizzees - “ Child obesity has doubled in a decade. Junk food and lack of exercise have created 'public health time-bomb'.” The Guardian Newspaper (22 April 2006) Research evidence: young people aged 2 - 19 * 40% boys and 60% of girls are doing less than 1 hours moderate exercise per day * 1/5 of boys and ¼ of girls are overweight or obese * The prevalence of obesity almost doubled among boys and increased by over a half among girls between 1995 and 2002. * One in 10 six-year-olds is obese . The total number of obese children has doubled since 1982. On present trends half of all children in England in 2020 could be obese . EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, 2005 Forecasting Obesity to 2006. DoH 2006

3. aims To encourage 8-12 year olds to be more physically active and develop and a greater understanding of the constituent parts of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ Fizzees - … applied understanding …

4. what is it? * Accurate, personal health data * Easily interpretable data (Fizzee’s maturation and appearance) * Always on, ‘situated learning’ game * Individual, motivating, encouraging, informative … applied understanding   Fizzees - A wearable technology that is a combination of dual sensor, processor, battery and screen. The screen shows a virtual pet (a Fizzee) that the young person is responsible for. The Fizzee’s maturation and health depends upon the actions of the young person . A website for further investigation, games, and comparisons

5. Fitting physical activity into current lifestyles in relation to research into patterns of behaviour change. why this approach? * play video games (immersive, empathetic, motivational) * nurture virtual pets (Tamagotchi etc) * compete, compare and share with peers * aspectual shape (game, learning tool, digital pet) Fizzees - … applied understanding …

6. how it works Activity levels are monitored through a heart rate monitor and accelerometer, which have a direct impact on the Fizzee displayed on a wrist-worn device Fizzees - * Privileging the interplay between the dual sensors * Rewards for particular activity types, frequency, exertion etc * Rewards rest and a ‘dose response’ stops over-training X2 V Vig Mod X1.5 Vig Mod X1 Mod Mod X1 Low Mod Factor Heart rate Accelerometer

7. scoring Fizzees - * Based upon guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officer on recommended amounts of exercise for young people * Developed with UoB’s Department of Exercise and Health Sciences Governing principles * Based on personal, accurate health data * Personal calibration of equipment * Dual sensors for more accurate reading * Privileging the interplay between sensors * Discounting stress and excitement as signifiers of activity * Relationship between data becomes a factor in the scoring system * Programmable system

8. Supporting website Fizzees - * support resource – further motivation * highly visual and interactive * social networking & community elements * upload data, interrogate progress – day by day * Fizzee World : for related information e.g. healthy eating * contact & communicate with experts

9. research questions Fizzees - * is a Fizzee a motivating device? * does this ‘always on’ representation encourage more activity and/or improve understanding? * what additional impact does the review of one’s own and others’ avatar’s ‘health’ have? * can young people see a link between themselves and their Fizzee ? Does nurturing the avatar transfer into nurturing their own bodies…?

10. Early research “ The best bit is when… it’s got all the hearts and you just see the arms pop out!” – Joe, aged 11. Fizzees - * y5 & yr6 pupils from Headley Park Junior School * 2 separate 6 Day trials * pre, mid & post interviews * daily logs - emotional and physical response

11. User trials Fizzees - * children happy to wear the wrist device and chest strap, and to care for their Fizzee. * did not negatively interfere with time at school or at home. * all understood the concept of the character progression, * all showed awareness of the link between their Fizzee pet and their own level of physical activity. * enjoyed seeing their Fizzee grow, and increased the amount of exercise they took, as they wanted their pet to be happy “ The best bit is when… it’s got all the hearts and you just see the arms pop out! ” – Joe, aged 11 “ My other son wants one” – Meachelle, Joe’s mother