Ajankohtaiset  – Current

Testing the first demo of the running game in Pelisilmä 2 event

Nov 13, 2025 | Blog

On Friday, October 31st, we organized a demo testing workshop at the Pelisilmä 2 event at Santasport. During the event, we were able to test the first demo version of our running game from work package 1 – for the first time to the public!

The testers were instructed on the safety of the treadmill and how it works: how to control your own pace using the motion sensor camera in front. Finding and maintaining your own pace with the treadmill can be challenging at first, but you quickly get the hang of it. Physical tape guides on the handrails are also a good addition to indicate the areas for defining your running pace.

Feedback was collected on the user experience during the testing. We asked the testers to evaluate their experiences using matrices, for example:

    • Motivation to run with the ghost/”rabbit”
    • The impact of heart rate data on motivation
    • Treadmill speed and incline control
    • Interestingness of the game environments

and much more. We received a lot of valuable feedback on the operation and development ideas for the next steps. Next, we will focus on finalizing the gameplay aspects of the running game and making improvements to the fields and user interface, after which the game will be ready for “version 1.0”. The 1.0 version will be actively used and tested at Santasport, which will allow us to collect a lot of feedback and the final development will continue until mid-2026.

Onwards – with brisk running steps towards the future!

Experts from Lapland University of Applied Sciences and Santasport have been developing a gamified running application for the large Rodby treadmill for the sports institute’s training and testing facilities during 2025. The running game is entering its final stages, and several demo events and testing days have already been held in this late autumn, where feedback has been collected for the future development of the game.

The project has been active in diverse collaboration throughout the year. A lot of time has been spent on technical testing and development – and it has been part of the learning process, from which we have been able to benefit together with different teams. It is great to witness effective cooperation between different fields, and that is also one of the major goals of the project: to combine the expertise of technology, sports and exercise, as well as virtual reality and service design in the region. In this way, we will grow our own expertise and be able to spread it more widely.

We are looking forward to what 2026 will bring, because there is a strong development spirit within the project! Great demos are expected, and we hope that SMEs and other actors in the region will also be able to test and utilize the environments and their technological possibilities more widely in the coming years.

Follow the project results page in the future for updates.

 

Company or other actor in the region – join us for innovation and development in 2026!

We are looking for local companies to help develop environments and demos. If you are interested in sports or wellness technologies or XR technologies, please contact the project manager ella.bjorn@lapinamk.fi