Circle

"Circle" is a collaborative digital game platform. Today, over 5.5 million children in the United States have a physical or cognitive disability that results in at least some difficulty with activities including play. While play has long been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child, disabled children often lose out on the benefits of playing with their parents and caregivers, and in general are less able to express themselves and make meaningful connections with them.

This project draws on the expertise of three different colleges (the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Nursing) to create a collaborative digital game platform that provides disabled children the opportunity to connect with their parents, friends and families using human-centered technology and touch.

As a research assistant, I contributed to the project by focusing on the industrial design of the wearable controller, ensuring that the device is both accessible and engaging for its users.

● Ideated and prototyped the wearable design based on existing electronics.
● Collaborated with engineering students to determine the size and structure of the wearable.
● Explored future directions of the wearable design, considering new materials (e.g., e-textiles) and innovative physical interactions for game mechanics.
● Participated in game critique and testing.

Ethnographic research and interviews on the previous wearable design, which utilized a force sensor, identified three key areas for improvement:
● More accessibility in attachment of the sensor
● A smaller chassis
● More appeal to children
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The new design, incorporating a smaller sensor that sends signals through body contact, allowed for a more compact chassis. This iteration of the wearable focuses on a rigid plastic chassis for the wrist, while also exploring a spring-structure band that enables easy, one-handed use.

Read about my design and prototyping process below.

Currently, the game recognizes three inputs: left hand touch, right hand touch, and both hands touch. We propose expanding to nine inputs inspired by the hand clap game, which would greatly enhance playability. This can be achieved by embedding both transmitter and receiver components within each wearable. Now each wearable is either a transmitter or a receiver.

Current design uses a traditional wrist-based rigid chassis. We will further explore different forms of wearable design by:
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● Exploring new materials and technologies, beginning with implementing sensors in the wearable strap to replace the current copper board. We are also investigating woven technology with the integration of separate electronics modules into the weave for a fully flexible design.
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● Investigating wearable forms that can be attached to different parts of the body, offering more versatility in use.
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Inspired by research from the Hybrid Body Lab (https://www.hybridbodylab.com/).