Lancaster University Researchers Make Exercise an RFID-enabled Game

As the participants arrived at each post, they tapped the card against the NFC-enabled phone. The phones, using Health Buddy software developed by Mobile Applications, would then transmit the unique ID number on the card, along with its own identification, via a GPRS connection from the phone to a server, which would then post the action on the CredX Web site hosted by Hyde Park's parent agency, Royal Parks.

Upon returning home, users could log on to the site and determine exactly how much walking they did, and how many calories were burned. The trial was completed after one month. In the future, when the system is deployed once more, Coulton envisions issuing points earned from that exercise to obtain rewards such as coupons for health-club membership.

Paul Coulton

In addition, Coulton envisions Health Buddy users—who own NFC-enabled phones—attaching RFID tags supplied by the Health Buddy program and its sponsors (which have yet to be determined) in locations such as their own home, so they can log how far they travel—from their home to the Metro subway station, for instance, and again from the station to the office or other location. If an exercise class were underway at the park, he imagines, the class instructor could also have an RFID tag which participants could tap with their NFC-enabled phones, automatically recording extra points for getting more exercise.

Bird is presently seeking permission from Transport for London to post Health Buddy points at train stations themselves, and also to allow the Health Buddy data to be stored and sent directly from Oyster cards. With the cards, commuters may be encouraged to get off the train one station early and take an extra walk, which could then be logged on their portfolio.

By summer 2008, Bird hopes to launch another pilot of undetermined length on Royal Park property, also using NFC-enabled phones in sealed boxes installed on posts, with about 1,000 participants using RFID tags. NFC-enabled phones are still rare in the United Kingdom but are expected to become commonplace in the next few years. To date, about 100 people at Lancaster University—all new students to Coulton's classes—have participated in the Pac-Lan game to test how well they like it.