WP 6 Creation of a Neandertal Avatar based Game

The aim of this WP is to create a Neandertal Avatar based on the Spy II skeleton and to use that avatar in computer games for both educational purposes for school children taking part in the animations by ADIA and for use in serious gaming. The avatar will also be used in the project website.

Task 6.1 Preparation of the reconstructed skeleton - TL: VUB

RBINS will transfer the high resolution models to VUB for pre-processing in order to make the model suitable for use in computer games. This means that the models will be converted into lower resolution models that can be loaded into the Unity 3D Engine. Some models, such as the Neandertal model, are naked and do not have body hair. Hence, the model will be fitted with clothes and hair in order to increase the possibilities for using the models in games for younger children. The VUB will work with RBINS and ADIA to determine the best choice for the appearance such as hair colour, eye colour etc. based on current scientific research.

Task 6.2. Identification of gaming scenarios for specific age groups for educational purposes – TL: ADIA

ADIA will work with all other partners and the member of the follow up committee Vincent Patar, to identify specific scenarios for the developed games. The idea is that the developed game will consist of small challenges or mini-games which will be used in the animations for ADIA. In each of these mini-games, the Neandertal will interact with other species (e.g. mammoths) and for each of those game characters, the game will provide age-adapted additional information specifically targeted at the different age groups. One game will also provide some insight into the activities and daily life of a palaeoanthropologist. Similar to other animations by ADIA, we anticipate scenarios in which the children need to investigate basic scientific issues. For instance, children can use the game to investigate whether Neandertals are taller than us? They can locate the femur, learn to measure it with a digital ruler (as in lhpFusionBox) and compare the lengths of the femur of the Neandertal skeleton and a contemporary skeleton.

Task 6.3. Analysis which existing serious games to use for the developed Neandertal avatar – TL: RBINS

The suite of games available at ULB and VUB will be examined for their success and potential suitability to add a Neandertal avatar to by all partners. As an example, the following description is of the “Hit The Rocks” game. This game simply asks the patient to throw a ball in the direction of a pile of blocks. This game is actually practicing balance and trunk control in the patient group as they can change the orientation of the ball by means of trunk movements. This game can be directly translated into a hunting game (for example, by throwing rocks towards mammoths), clearly enriching the game experience of the patients.

Task 6.4 Development of tablet games - TL: VUB

The games will then be developed by VUB using the Unity 3D Game Engine according to the scenarios developed in Task 5.2. The technological platform used for the development of these games enables the distribution of these games on Android, iOS and Windows based mobile platforms via the respective app stores. During the project, the feasibility of this will be investigated.

Task 6.5 Incorporation of the 3D models into rehabilitation games - TL: VUB

This work package will concentrate on the incorporation of the avatar developed in Task 5.1 into existing serious games defined as the most suitable in task 5.2.

Task 6.6 Game evaluation - TL: ADIA

All developed gaming material needs to be evaluated continuously by the involved stakeholders. ADIA will run an animation based on the new game. Children in the target group will be observed during game play and interviewed by means of structured questionnaires in order to understand whether the provided information in the games is actually correct, whether it is attractive to the children and whether the game mechanics are providing sufficient reward to explore the full game and hence to maximise the potential information transfer.