Illuminated Board Game Controller for Mobility Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with mobility issues face challenges in participating in interactive games due to the need for manual manipulation of game pieces, which can be difficult or impossible for those with limited dexterity, creating a barrier to inclusive gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A game system utilizing a game board with illuminable indicia and controllers with buttons or joysticks that allow players to interact by controlling light elements on the board, eliminating the need for direct manipulation of game pieces and ensuring all players interact in the same manner, regardless of mobility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional board games require manual manipulation of game pieces, then game interaction is engaging, but persons with mobility issues cannot participate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical manipulation of physical game pieces with an electronic control system. Controllers with buttons, switches, or joysticks send electronic signals to a processor that controls illuminable indicia on the game board, substituting manual dexterity requirements with accessible electronic interfaces that can be operated by persons with mobility issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The game system is designed to be universally playable by all persons regardless of mobility level. The same controller interface and game rules apply to all players, with the electronic control mechanism serving as a universal interface that accommodates various physical abilities while maintaining consistent gameplay experience for everyone.
2Loss of information
If game pieces are directly manipulated on the board, then game progress is clear, but persons with limited dexterity cannot move pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses illuminable indicia on the game board to create a visual copy or representation of game piece positions. Instead of requiring physical manipulation of pieces, the system uses light-based indicators that clearly show game progress and player positions, maintaining information clarity while eliminating the need for manual dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller and processor system acts as an intermediary between the player's input and the game board state. The controller translates player actions into electronic signals that the processor interprets to update the illuminable indicia, providing a clear visual representation of game progress without requiring direct manual manipulation of physical pieces.
3Ease of operation
If different players use different interaction methods, then each player can play comfortably, but stigma associated with perceived handicaps is reinforced
Solution Approach 1:
The game system employs universal controllers with standardized buttons, switches, or joysticks that all players use in the same way, regardless of their physical abilities. This universal interface design ensures that no player is singled out for using a different interaction method, thereby eliminating stigma associated with perceived handicaps while maintaining comfortable gameplay for all.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables individuals with mobility issues to engage in enjoyable, rehabilitative, or educational gameplay experiences by simplifying interactions and removing stigma associated with perceived handicaps, as all players use the same controls, promoting accessibility and engagement.
Implementation Method 1
The game board incorporates a light control interface and a plurality of illuminable lights or icons to identify the position of the player on the game board
Data Source
AI summary
A board game in which game action is initiated by the use of easy-to-hit buttons, switches or joysticks incorporated into the game, which stimulate board interaction and motion. The board game “pieces” need not be directly manipulated and cannot move about the board unintentionally. Rather, the pieces are lights or illuminated icons which are fixed to the playing surface, and which are controlled to advance in a pattern.