A low-cost approach to exertion games

Computer games do not afford a large amount of physical activity and hence do not require significant energy expenditure, which can contribute to the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle. Ln contrast, a "hand exerciser" handgrip can help strengthen hand and forearm muscles through a simple spring mechanism. We are presenting the mousegrip, an exertion interface to control computer games while simultaneously exerctstng muscles. Unlike conventional vision or accelerometer-based exertion interface devices, the mousegrip is very low in cost and supports force-feedback through a simple spring mechanism. Due to its mobile form factor and compatibility to existing mouse drivers, the mousegrip can augment traditional computer games with an exertion activity to make exercising more enjoyable and gameplay healthier. With our approach, we hope to encourage other researchers to incorporate exertion activity into their interfaces in order to support a healthy lifestyle.