Augmented Reality Cubes for Cognitive Gaming: Preliminary Usability and Game Experience Testing

The Cognitive Augmented Reality Cubes (CogARC) system serves as a novel serious gaming platform designed to facilitate cognitive screening and training for elderly populations. By integrating tangible physical cubes with tablet-based augmented reality, the system provides a low-barrier, motivational alternative to traditional clinical assessments. The primary objective is to capture comprehensive data on both cognitive and motor performance, targeting essential functions such as memory, attention, and executive processing through a suite of six distinct mini-games.

Technical development has focused on enhancing system reliability, specifically through the implementation of multi-marker tracking and a migration to the Unity platform to mitigate issues like marker occlusion and latency. Preliminary usability testing conducted with a cohort of elderly participants yielded a System Usability Scale score of 70.5, indicating a generally positive reception. However, the study identified critical friction points, including challenges with depth perception, persistent technical lag, and user confusion regarding the distinction between physical markers and virtual overlays.

These findings underscore the necessity of refining interaction mechanics to better align with the perceptual and cognitive requirements of older adults. Future iterations of the system will prioritize a shift toward the reality-based end of the reality-virtuality continuum, favoring more structured and linear gameplay formats. By addressing these usability barriers, the platform aims to evolve into a more effective and accessible tool for longitudinal cognitive health monitoring, ensuring that the integration of augmented reality remains intuitive and supportive for its target demographic.