Prof. Götz, Ulrich (ZhdK), CH

Topic: "Gabarello - Game based rehabilitation for Lokomat"

Ulrich Götz trained as an architect, but his creations of space have shifted from real towards virtual environments. Ulrich Götz has headed the faculty of game design at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) since its inception in 2004. The success of the programme is evinced in the awards received by graduates for their innovative ways of creating new types of video games. In addition to teaching, Ulrich Götz has been actively involved in designing so called ‘serious games’ for the use in therapeutic contexts, in cooperation with staff of the University Children's Hospital Zurich, the Institute for Neuroinformatics (a ETH/University of Zurich collaboration) and the Motor Systems Lab (ETH Zurich). At the ZHdK, he founded the Centre for Serious Game Design, which focuses exclusively on the conceptualization and application of serious games.

Summary of presentation

At the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), a research group of the faculty of game design developed a physiotherapeutic serious game for the rehabilitation robot "Lokomat". The game "Gabarello v. 1.0" has been in use at the University Children's Hospital Zurich since December 2009. The "Lokomat" rehabilitation therapy focuses on patients with cerebral damage, who have lost the ability to move their lower limbs. Götz's presentation shows the development both of game concept and design and the interaction between "Gabarello v. 1.0" and the robot "Lokomat".