Interactive Tactile Ball: A Device for Enforcing Cause and Effect Relationships
By Smith, David, Rux, Alan; NSF 2008 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 212-213Publication Date: 2011
Description of an interactive ball used to play games that reinforce cause and effect relationships. Developed by an engineering student at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell for use by a service and support provider for people with developmental disabilities, the ball was designed to focus on three areas of learning: cause and effect, tactile feedback, and memory. The main structure of the battery operated interactive tactile ball is a foam soccer ball cut in half and hollow in the center to accommodate batteries and electronics and with holes drilled in it to fit pressure sensitive pushbutton input switches, light emitting diode (LED) output lights, and a speaker. It is held together with Velcro and a nylon shell. Interaction with the ball is rewarded by lights blinking and children’s music playing. Colored circles on the surface of the ball act as switches and are textured, providing tactile feedback. The ball features two modes, feedback and game, with the latter serving as a memory learning mode, as the user must remember which light turned on and touch the appropriate light for a positive feedback. The device is versatile enough for use by students of varying degrees of ability, and its operation does not require actions performed by a teacher except changing from simple feedback to game mode. Cost of the device was about 120 dollars.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2008/Chapter%2012,%20University%20of%20Massachusetts%20Lowell.pdf
ISBN: ISBN 1-931280-15-0
