Førstehjælper-Spillet

Førstehjælper-Spillet

Project type: 1st semester university project

Made: December 2011

My fields: Programming, Game design

Time spent on this project: 3 months (including 80 pages report)

Tools used: Eclipse with Android plug-in, Photoshop

DOWNLOAD: Førstehjælper-Spillet

About this project:

WarioWare with first aid-themed minigames for Android. Be a hero! Save people!

During the first semester at Medialogy my group and I had a project with the theme Designing from both sides of the screen and subtheme Consumption. The group decided to make an Android app with the purpose of training people to becoming better at performing first aid. The project lasted from October to December 2011 and required a written report of 80 pages, which was then used in an oral examination. I got the grade 12 (the highest possible).

It was not required to develop an actual working application. However, our group decided to make a prototype using the Java language and Android SDK. We designed a lot of different mini-games (which are described in the report), but only had time to implement one: the CPR mini-game.

Don’t be afraid to act in emergency situations
The game is called Førstehjælper-Spillet (“The First Aid Game” in English) and has a structure similar to the WarioWare games. It consists of various mini-games that each provides an emergency scenario where the player has to react quickly and efficiently.

The game is meant as a supplement for traditional first aid courses which usually rely heavily on textbook material. We wanted to make a more interactive experience that utilizes the capabilities of a modern smartphone.

Førstehjælper-Spillet presents the player with a map screen where small accident icons will start appearing. Now it’s the players objective to go to each accident, save the person by performing first aid, and then go back to the map again and help someone else. The game’s premise is don’t be afraid to act; it’s better trying than just watching. Therefore there is only one way to lose the game: if time runs out (i.e. the player does nothing) and a person dies.

The report abstract

The first aid application Førstehjælper-Spillet is a game developed for Android smartphones to help usersrefresh or memorize their first aid skills. Through a collection of mini-games the user experiences differentsimulated emergency situations. By means of repetition the user will learn to recognize specific accidents andknow how to act – and more importantly, will not be afraid to act.

The goal with Førstehjælper-Spillet is to reduce the number of people who end up at the hospitals eachyear due to bad on-scene first aid. A bed hour at the hospital costs approximately DKK 10,000. If the numberof people getting hospitalized or the time spent at the hospital is reduced, then resources will be saved. Aprototype was developed and tested through a questionnaire. It showed positive results: the test participantswere interested in the concept and found it useful. 67% of the participants who didn’t know about the correct procedure of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) beforehand, learned the proper technique and showed progress in their general understanding of first aid.

Credits
Anne Juhler Hansen
Gustav Dahl
Daumantas Palaitis
Maximilian Müller
Roberta Siaudvytyte
Stine Eklund