Researchers

Zukor Interactive Supports Research

Zukor Interactive strongly believes in and supports research. We offer substantial discounts to AAPB & ISNR members and contribute a portion of each feedback game sale to industry sponsored research. Plus, we are a recurring monthly donor to the ISNR Research Foundation.

Powerful, Versatile Research Tool

Zukor’s Grind is an exceptionally flexible feedback game research tool. Its dozens of easy-to-use options, divided into 10 separate categories, offer unparalleled control of the feedback experience. Zukor’s Grind makes feedback game protocols possible and simple.

In addition to the abundant built-in features listed below, Zukor Interactive can modify existing features for researchers or add new ones to fit your exact research needs. Just ask.

Key Research-Relevant Features

Game Display Options

Researchers can separately turn off different types of in-game, on-screen displays, such as the speed meter, time, scores, etc.

Threshold Meter Options

Researchers can separately turn on or off the reward or inhibit meters. Plus, there are five different styles of inhibit meters available, ranging from the approach used in most current games to new meter styles which use more intuitive concepts with innovative graphics.

Levels

Researchers can chose from three unique levels with increasing length and complexity. Zukor’s Grind levels are not just different colored tunnels, background photos or clip art, but rather truly unique, fully-developed and imaginative paths populated by an array of diverse, interesting objects.

Level Objects Options

Enhancing the “Levels” feature, the researcher can further modify the visual stimulation of the game by turning off individual objects, turning off groups of objects or turning off all objects within the game. This is a simple way to “dial up” or “dial down” the visual stimulation of the game.

Reward Waves Sound Options

Researchers can select from a broad array of high-quality sounds from both musical instruments and synthetic sources, with both a low and high pitch version of each sound. Researchers can also set the reward sound’s delay interval in milliseconds.

Importantly, the reward sound volume can be adjusted independently from the feedback game’s environmental sounds. Together these options offer total control of the reward sound experience.

Reward Waves Sound Options

Researchers can select from a broad array of high-quality sounds from both musical instruments and synthetic sources, with both a low and high pitch version of each sound. Researchers can also set the reward sound’s delay interval in milliseconds.

Importantly, the reward sound volume can be adjusted independently from the feedback game’s environmental sounds. Together these options offer total control of the reward sound experience.

Period/Session Options

Researchers can easily setup the number of periods per session, the length of each period, and the delay length of the optional Auto-Restart Next Period.

More Research-Relevant Features

Game Sound Options

Researchers can turn off different types of in-game environmental sounds, such as skateboarding sounds, character sounds, etc. while not effecting the Reward Waves Sound.

Time of Day Options

Researchers can have the game environment appear as day or night (with moonlight). Another “Time of Day” alternative is the Moving Sun mode where the “Sun” moves 360 degrees around the “Concrete Paradise” game environment. These “Time of Day” options do more than add variety, they offer the researcher a powerful tool to control the “mood” of the game for many purposes.

Speed Change Rate Variable

This advanced setting allows researchers to adjust how dramatically the character responds to changes in the EEG or biometric data. This can be very useful for certain treatment protocols.

Using this option, researchers can easily change the variable in the gameplay dynamics algorithm which controls the “rate of speed change” of the character. It does not change how “fast” the character responds, but it does change how “much” the character responds over time. Also, it does not change the delay of the speed change, because the character always responds instantly to changes in EEG or biometrics. However, the feedback perception will be that the higher the Speed Change Rate, the “faster” the character is responding.

Other Features

Patient Profiles

Researchers can create feedback game profiles for each test subject which will store all feedback game options, settings and scores for that patient in a HIPPA-compliant format. This means the Researcher does not have to reset the game options each time they see a specific test subject.

Scores

Points are awarded for meeting the reward state, plus bonus points are added for doing skateboarding tricks. The Scores screen displays detials of each point type plus a total score for each period and each session.

The Scores screen data can be saved as a “screen grab” graphic file (which can be printed) and as a Excel spreadsheet.

Characters

There are human and non-human characters available for gameplay. There is a teenage boy named Biff, and a teenage girl named Buffy.
The non-human characters are labeled as Bonus Characters but can
be selected at any time. They are a great way to “reward” a patient for reaching certain treatment goals. The Bonus Characters can be hidden
on the Characters page so they are not available as a playable character until the clinician is ready to reveal them to the patient.

Camera Angle Options

The patien’s point of view can be changed between Normal (3rd person behind the character) and Reverse (facing the character in front of them) or Overhead (third person above the character) in order to add variety to the feedback experience.

Graphics Configuration

The game’s graphics quality can be adjusted lower or higher to meet the capabilities of their specific computer system.