Gamified Digital Balance Assessment for Older Adults in Community Settings: Development, Validation, and User Experience Evaluation in a Mixed Methods Study

To help older adults assess their balance more reliably and independently, researchers developed a Digital Balance Testing System (DBTS). This system combines the Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Brief-BESTest) with OpenPose, a computer vision technology that tracks body movements using a standard camera. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the DBTS and its impact on user experience in a controlled experimental setting. A total of 30 community-dwelling older adults (average age 66.2 ± 4.7 years) participated. Each person completed balance assessments using both the traditional Brief-BESTest and the DBTS. To assess the reliability of the DBTS, the researchers analyzed the standard error of measurement and its correlation with scores from the Brief-BESTest. To evaluate user experience, participants rated their perceived physical fatigue and intrinsic motivation after each test session.