A University of the Sunshine Coast disruptive technologies expert will explain how digital games can get people active in a special public lecture on Friday 6 November at 6pm.

Professor of Disruptive Technologies Stuart Smith will use the Friday Night Sports Talk at USC to discuss how digital games can be used to increase exercise levels and help injury rehabilitation.

The 30-minute talk will be held at the USC Sports Stadium recreation room and is aimed at anyone aged 13 years and older with an interest in sport, health and wellbeing.

Professor Smith said digital technology like sensory video games and Fitbits were already making waves in how the public engaged in sport and exercise.

“Worldwide, children are spending less and less time outdoors, so there’s a lot of work being done to introduce exercise-based video games into the school curriculum,” Prof Smith said.

“A number of studies have shown that we can get kids exerting as much energy playing a video game as they would doing a moderate amount of physical activity outside.”

Professor Smith, a leading international researcher in interactive digital technologies, recently ran a research project which used an adapted version of arcade game Dance Dance Revolution to reduce the risk of falls in older people.

He said the use of games and technology could also become an important training tool for elite athletes.

“I think there might be some really interesting ways we can use sensing technologies to improve performance in professional sportspeople or athletes on that pathway,” he said.

“Athletes who have been injured want to get back to peak performance as soon as possible, which always involves some sort of repetitive physiotherapy.

“We can look at using game-based systems to get athletes more engaged in their rehabilitation and return to the field in less time.”

To RSVP to the Friday Night Sports Talk, contact Tania Stevenson on tstevens@usc.edu.au or 5459 4823.

The talks are a joint initiative of USC Sport Science, Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching (C-SALT), the USC junior basketball club (USCBC) and USC Sport.

They were initiated through an Office of Engagement Research Support Grant, sponsored by local sport retailers and hosted by USCBC.

— Gen Kennedy