[games_access] Alternative Accessible Haptic Game Controller (was: Japanese links part 2: NAMCO accessible controllerfor Playstation 2 etc.)

[AudioGames.net]

Hi Barrie and list,

Thanks for posting these great links. I assume you're keeping track of all 
these somewhere in an archive? Would make a nice article in the future! I 
got a question mostly for Barrie but I'd like to ask others to help out as 
well. The question is related to alternative game controllers:

This week I was approached by one of the largest of technical universities 
in Holland who asked me (or actually AudioGames.net) to help out with a 
seminar for 2nd year Industrial Design students . They asked me to formulate 
and assist with a research assignment in which students design an 
"alternative haptic game controller". It should be handheld (or bodyheld) 
and it should stimulate movement of the player. The university originally 
had the idea to link it to audio games because of the interesting 
"hand-ear"-relationship. Accessibility was not within the description. The 
project's duration is about 6 weeks I believe.

Since I'm busy with the "Game Accessibility"-project (a project of the Dutch 
Accessibility foundation - I know I keep hinting about this but I will tell 
more about it when we actually launch) I thought this research assignment 
would fit in nicely. Together with my collegue Sander I'm currently scanning 
the different possibilities. One of the things I would like to do with this 
assignment is to make it a R&D project in which to get more knowledge about 
possible accessible game controllers. This is not exactly my field although 
I try to keep track of whatever Barrie does:)

I would like to know what problems/limitations/possibilities there are with 
current accessible game controllers. Can you tell me if there's a NEED for a 
specific design/technology through which games could be played more easily? 
I personally like the idea of a "one button"-controller that actually has 
more functionality than just "on" or "off". But I wouldn't really know if 
there's a need for that. I know that there's a very wide range of haptic 
assistive technology and alternative controllers. I also know that the scope 
of motoric disabilities if quite big and varied. Therefore I am thinking to 
just pick one or two of the most common motoric disabilities and ask the 
students to design for that specific disability. What do you think about 
that (and...er... what IS the most common motoric disability *among gamers* 
?)

If anyone has some nice ideas/questions that could be researched within this 
project, please step up :)

Greets,

Richard


ps: here's an example of some of the quality of the students' work:

http://acg.media.mit.edu/people/golan/papers/shakepad/slides/index.html




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barrie Ellis" <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk>
To: "IGDA GA mailing list" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 8:24 AM
Subject: [games_access] Japanese links part 2: NAMCO accessible 
controllerfor Playstation 2 etc.


> "Barrier-free Controller for Home Videogames by Namco
> http://hustle-club.com
>
> This redesigned game pad is compatible with the Sony PlayStation 2.  It 
> has oversized buttons and a joystick on it, but also has switch ports for 
> the addition of external switches."
>
>
> I found this info from www.connsensebulletin.com/gap2005.html. However, 
> there's nothing on the Hustle-club web-site about this (although if I 
> could read Japanese this might help). They told me that no hardware was 
> exhibited for this, but there were pamphlets and two people from Namco 
> that could speak a little English.
>
>
> Some more interesting Japanese sites around assistive technology:
>
> http://www.kokoroweb.org/atac2002/tenzi.html (e-ZUKA adapted Playstation 
> controller in 2002)
> http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=ja_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kktstep.org%2fmouse-om2.html 
> (English translation of bespoke accessible USB controllers 
> www.kktstep.org/raku2mouse.html)
> http://www.p-supply.co.jp/comaid/index.html (stock switches and sensors)
>
> If only we could bridge the language barrier....
>
> All the best,
>
> Barrie
> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
>
>
>
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