Abstract

Since the outbreak of the highly infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), a lot of emphasis has been put on preventing the spread of the virus. Citizens were informed about how the virus spreads and how they should behave to prevent a further increase of infections. But, not everyone paid enough attention or was interested in following the guidelines, as the infection numbers are still not decreasing as of May 2021. The game "Germ Piano" was developed to raise the awareness of touch-based infections and playfully emphasize the importance of handwashing. The game uses a Kinect camera to augment the player's environment and lets them experience how easily germs can spread in their everyday life. The goal of the player is to replicate tunes by touching specific areas of the table in front of them and scoring as many points as possible. The system recognizes the player's hands and tracks when and where they come into contact with the surface below them. The educational aspect of the game lies in the fact that the table is contaminated with invisible germs, and the player needs to avoid spreading them while doing the task, or they will receive a point penalty at the end. By playing this game, a person should learn about how germs can spread without their notice, and what crucial role proper handwashing plays in counteracting the spread. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, an online survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of "Germ Piano" in improving the germ awareness of the player. The participants could experience the game by watching various clips, answer questions on when the player in the video gets infected, and give their feedback on the game. The results showed that the game has only a minor educational effect and entertainment factor, but the used evaluation method does not well with the developed game, and further in-person playtesting sessions should be conducted for evaluation.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

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