In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the use of health and sports-related smartphone applications (apps). This is also reflected in App-stores, which are stacked with thousands of health- and sports-apps, with new apps launched each day. These apps have great potential to monitor and support people’s physical activity and health. For users, however, it is difficult to know which app suits their needs. In this paper, we present an online tool that supports the decision-making process for choosing an appropriate app. We constructed and validated a screening instrument to assess app content quality, together with the assessment of users’ needs. Both served as input for building the tool through various iterations with prototypes and user tests. This resulted in an online tool which relies on app content quality scores to match the users’ needs with apps that score high in the screening instrument on those particular needs. Users can add new apps to the database via the screening instrument, making the tool self-supportive and future proof. A feedback loop allows users to give feedback on the recommended app and how well it meets their needs. This feedback is added to the database and used in future filtering and recommendations. The principles used can be applied to other areas of sports, physical activity and health to help users to select an app that suits their needs. Potentially increasing the long-term use of apps to monitor and to support physical activity and health.
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For creating sports innovations we need tools to collect data on physical activity behaviour. Collecting data is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, sharing data and using it to answer multiple research questions is desirable. Especially in larger multidisciplinary research projects, it is beneficial if a diverse data set can be collected effortlessly. For this, we created a smartphone app that can be used for scientific data collection on physical activity behavior in sport research.The requirement for the app was that the different research partners could contribute, use the app independently and that the individual contributions could be easily combined into a larger app. We created a base app which provides a framework for easy implementation of custom modules. Each functionality in the app is represented in a module and can be created by different parties. The app uses the EventBus framework [1] to allow easy communication between independent modules including an independent GUI. In our presentation we will further explain this independance using the beacon physical activity app BAMBEA [4] .Over the span of three years we made a sensor collection-, emotion input-, beacon scanner-, beacon handler-, goal-, reward- and message/notification-module. We combined different modules into different versions. A first version initially focused on running behaviour and used a movement- and a heart rate-module that were originally created for research [2] and different modules of partners (like gait step frequency and emotion detection). The app was extended with a GUI to test the user experience of the modules [3]. Finally, the framework was updated and combined different modules and a new GUI for a bootcamp app [4]. In conclusion we experienced the modular framework as a good solution for reuse and collaboration within multidisciplinary research projects. By allowing for the independent development of modules only intense communication between partners was needed when conflicts occurred between modules. Another advantage was that partners could develop their module in their desired programming language and later integrate their module in the app by providing a small wrapper. We consider the framework approach as a success for projects where close collaboration is desired with a multidisciplinary team. However, we would not advise this approach when it can be expected that multiple heavy performance solutions are required and resources like data collection, storage and backup cannot be shared. In that case a tight integration and continuous collaborative implementation is likely a preferred approach.This research is made possible by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences research programs Urban Vitality, Amsterdam Creative Industries Network, the Amsterdam Institute of Sport Sciences (AISS) and by the Dutch National program COMMIT/.
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In this presentation we presented the results of expert meetings. The aim was to identify which features in sport- and health-related apps contribute to effectiveness of apps. A nominal group technique was used.
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MUSE supports the CIVITAS Community to increase its impact on urban mobility policy making and advance it to a higher level of knowledge, exchange, and sustainability.As the current Coordination and Support Action for the CIVITAS Initiative, MUSE primarily engages in support activities to boost the impact of CIVITAS Community activities on sustainable urban mobility policy. Its main objectives are to:- Act as a destination for knowledge developed by the CIVITAS Community over the past twenty years.- Expand and strengthen relationships between cities and stakeholders at all levels.- Support the enrichment of the wider urban mobility community by providing learning opportunities.Through these goals, the CIVITAS Initiative strives to support the mobility and transport goals of the European Commission, and in turn those in the European Green Deal.Breda University of Applied Sciences is the task leader of Task 7.3: Exploitation of the Mobility Educational Network and Task 7.4: Mobility Powered by Youth Facilitation.
The focus of this project is on improving the resilience of hospitality Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by enabling them to take advantage of digitalization tools and data analytics in particular. Hospitality SMEs play an important role in their local community but are vulnerable to shifts in demand. Due to a lack of resources (time, finance, and sometimes knowledge), they do not have sufficient access to data analytics tools that are typically available to larger organizations. The purpose of this project is therefore to develop a prototype infrastructure or ecosystem showcasing how Dutch hospitality SMEs can develop their data analytic capability in such a way that they increase their resilience to shifts in demand. The one year exploration period will be used to assess the feasibility of such an infrastructure and will address technological aspects (e.g. kind of technological platform), process aspects (e.g. prerequisites for collaboration such as confidentiality and safety of data), knowledge aspects (e.g. what knowledge of data analytics do SMEs need and through what medium), and organizational aspects (what kind of cooperation form is necessary and how should it be financed).Societal issueIn the Netherlands, hospitality SMEs such as hotels play an important role in local communities, providing employment opportunities, supporting financially or otherwise local social activities and sports teams (Panteia, 2023). Nevertheless, due to their high fixed cost / low variable business model, hospitality SMEs are vulnerable to shifts in consumer demand (Kokkinou, Mitas, et al., 2023; Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, 2023). This risk could be partially mitigated by using data analytics, to gain visibility over demand, and make data-driven decisions regarding allocation of marketing resources, pricing, procurement, etc…. However, this requires investments in technology, processes, and training that are oftentimes (financially) inaccessible to these small SMEs.Benefit for societyThe proposed study touches upon several key enabling technologies First, key enabling technology participation and co-creation lies at the center of this proposal. The premise is that regional hospitality SMEs can achieve more by combining their knowledge and resources. The proposed project therefore aims to give diverse stakeholders the means and opportunity to collaborate, learn from each other, and work together on a prototype collaboration. The proposed study thereby also contributes to developing knowledge with and for entrepreneurs and to digitalization of the tourism and hospitality sector.Collaborative partnersHZ University of Applied Sciences, Hotel Hulst, Hotel/Restaurant de Belgische Loodsensociëteit, Hotel Zilt, DM Hotels, Hotel Charley's, Juyo Analytics, Impuls Zeeland.
Beweegrichtlijnen geven aan hoeveel beweging nodig is voor een goede gezondheid van jong tot oud. Voor een gezonde leefstijl van kinderen zijn bewegen, samen spelen, samen leren en samen werken van groot belang, maar dat geldt ook voor ouderen. Picoo brengt het belang van bewegen en samenzijn bij elkaar. Dat zorgt voor een goede ontwikkeling van het kind, het welzijn van ouderen en het verstevigen van het bewegen en samenzijn in de maatschappij. Project: Actief Plezier met Picoo: Jong en Oud in Beweging! Vraag: Draagt Picoo bij aan meer beweging en verbinding tussen kinderen en ouderen door samen te bewegen? Doel: Het inzetten van Picoo leidt tot meer samen beweging, waardoor welzijn van ouderen en ontwikkeling van het kind en meer beweging wordt vergroot. Methode: Mixed method observatieonderzoek /survey/kort gesprek Kinderen tot 18 jaar en senioren 65 plus met een zorgvraag T0: kinderen en ouderen krijgen uitleg over het gebruik van Picoo Interventie: Picoo is een controller en spelcomputer ineen, ontwikkeld om kinderen (maar ook volwassen) interactief buiten te laten spelen.6 Tijdens de actieve games heeft elke deelnemer een eigen controller. De controllers staan met elkaar in verbinding. T1 Tijdens het spel wordt d.m.v. een observatielijst gekeken hoe jong en oud reageren op het samen spelen met Picoo. T2 Na het spel geven kinderen en ouderen door middel van Visual Analogue Scale (smileys) wat hun ervaringen zijn. T3 Na het spel gaan kinderen en ouderen kort met elkaar in gesprek over hun ervaringen Uitvoering: Interdisciplinaire mix van studenten Verpleegkunde, Fysiotherapie, Mens en Techniek en Social Work Eindproduct: Nieuwe testcase en input voor doorontwikkeling Picoo richting verbinding jong en oud. Kennis over mogelijkheden/ervaringen over verbinding door beweging wordt gedissemineerd naar de praktijk en onderwijs. Resultaten worden gerapporteerd en gepubliceerd op relevante sites zoals bijvoorbeeld kenniscentrum sport en bewegen, zorginstellingen en scholen.
Lectorate, part of NHL Stenden Hogeschool
