Q-eBall: A Hybrid Physical Electronic Game for the Next Generation of Bubble Soccer

The widespread of electronic games has increased screen time, causing negative consequences such as autism, social isolation, vision problems, and back pain. This underscores the need for new games that blend physical activity with digital engagement. Consequently, the field of physically interactive electronic games has emerged, driven by advancements in sensor technology. In response, we present a novel hybrid physical electronic game, named Q-eBall. It builds upon the traditional bubble soccer game by replacing the real physical ball, which was causing a level of mundanity in the game, with a visual ball. This visual electronic ball is a group of integrated Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in the players’ plastic bumper bubbles. The game incorporates an embedded electronic circuit, a keypad for precise visual ball transfers, and sensors for detecting player falls and scoring. A centralized game server manages communication, monitors player status, and ensures smooth gameplay progression. The electronic integration in Q-eBall adds a new dimension of complexity, opening up possibilities for unique gameplay strategies and tactical choices. This paper describes the concept of Q-eBall game, along with a prototype and offers a labeled dataset collected from accelerometer, gyroscope, and pressure sensor during gameplay. The dataset comprises 173 falls and 206 non-fall events across 15 gameplay sessions, making it a valuable resource for researchers interested in analyzing and evaluating fall detection algorithms.