Exploring Human Quadruped Locomotion for Exergames

2026-03-16

AI Summary

This work proposes a novel exergame that uniquely integrates non-human character embodiment with core abdominal training. Players lie supine on the floor and control a virtual quadrupedal avatar—such as a tiger—through natural limb movements, which inherently map to core-strengthening exercises like crunches. Departing from conventional bipedal or controller-based interaction paradigms, the system introduces the first responsive mapping of full-limb motion to a virtual quadruped, leveraging an overhead Kinect sensor for fully automatic, markerless body tracking. A user study (N=15) demonstrates that the design offers intuitive control and high immersion, effectively transforming high-intensity core workouts into an engaging and enjoyable gaming experience while significantly reducing perceived exertion.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Intelligent Robots: Embodied AI
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: LLM based quality controls for crowd work

Abstract

Embodying non-human characters and exercising abdominal muscles are both underexplored in exergames. We address this by describing the design and evaluation of a novel human quadruped locomotion exergame. In the game, the player lies supine on the ground and moves their arms and legs to control a quadrupedal character (a tiger), similar to common bodyweight abdominal muscle exercises such as the Bicycle Crunch. The motion tracking is computer vision-based, utilizing a Kinect sensor placed above the player, which makes our approach suitable for commercial premises such as indoor activity parks where a system needs to run unattended and without any wearable components. Our system extends embodied interaction beyond traditional bipedal or controller-based systems, demonstrating how natural limb movements can generate responsive and immersive quadrupedal motion within virtual environments. We conducted a user study (N=15) to evaluate the system's intuitiveness, control, and overall player experience. The findings demonstrate the usability and potential of our system, highlighting its intense physical nature. Participants reported that gameplay immersion masked physical exertion, allowing them to perceive rigorous core training primarily as play.

Problem

• exergames
• quadruped locomotion
• embodied interaction
• abdominal muscle exercise
• non-human characters

Innovation

• quadruped locomotion
• exergame
• computer vision-based motion tracking
• embodied interaction
• core muscle training