Physically intuitive, real-time, multiple object tracking, planning and divided attention task for enhancing cognition

An apparatus for enhancing a cognitive ability of a user, comprising:

• a user computing device configured to:
• conduct a training session, utilizing a user interface display of the user computing device, comprising:
• presenting a routing network having one or more travelers, a source for each of the one or more travelers, a respective destination for each of the one or more travelers, and a path from the source for the one or more travelers to the respective destination, each network comprising at least one direction modification element operable by the user, via the user interface display of the user computing device, to direct a traveler of the one or more travelers from the source to the respective destination;
• displaying to the user the traveler moving through the network from the source to the at least one direction modification element;
• allowing the user, via the user interface display of the user computing device, to control a position of the at least one direction modification element so as to direct the traveler from the source to the respective destination.

A machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

• conducting a training session comprising:
• presenting a routing network having one or more travelers, a source for each of the one or more travelers, a respective destination for each of the one or more travelers, and a path from the source for the one or more travelers to the respective destination, each path comprising at least one direction modification element operable by the user, via the user interface display of the user computing device, to direct a traveler of the one or more travelers from the source to the respective unique destination;
• displaying to the user the traveler moving along the path from the source to the at least one direction modification element;
• allowing the user to control a position of the at least one direction modification element so as to direct the traveler from the source to the respective unique destination.

A method of assessing a cognitive ability of a user, comprising:

• conducting, via a user interface display of a user computing device, a training session comprising:
• presenting, via the user interface display of the user computing device, a routing network having one or more travelers, a source for each of the one or more travelers, a respective destination for each of the one or more travelers, and a path from the source for the one or more travelers to the respective destination, each network comprising at least one direction modification element to direct a traveler of the one or more travelers from the source to the respective unique destination;
• displaying to the user, via the user interface display of the user computing device, the traveler moving along the path from the source to the at least one direction modification element;
• allowing the user, via the user interface display of the user computing device, to control a position of the at least one direction modification element so as to direct the traveler to its destination;
• determining a performance of the user by determining one or more of whether the traveler was directed to the correct respective destination and which path the traveler used to get to the destination;
• using that performance to evaluate the cognitive ability of the user.