Oliver Folkard Undergraduate Dissertation 2014/15

Coaching App to Encourage People's Mobility

Supervised by H.Christensen

Abstract

Physical fitness in the UK is getting constantly worse as people's lives become more and more sedentary. In 2012, the proportion of adults who were medically obese was around 25%, up from 15% in 1993. The effects of this are many, and include effects like self-image and confidence problems, but the biggest problems are a huge increase in the risk of medical problems such as heart disease and stroke. The aim of this project is to develop an application for the android platform which encourages users to exercise more regularly and become more physically mobile. This is to be done by using motivational techniques based in gamification, which is the inclusion of game-like elements in non-game contexts. The end goal is to increase the overall fitness level and mobility of the users, which will improve their health and overall well-being. This report details the process of creating this application. Literature relating to the topic and similar applications were reviewed and this research was used to create a list of functional requirements. This is followed by chapters detailing the design and eventual implementation of the project. Finally, there is a review and conclusion on the overall quality and effectiveness of the project.