Photo of the product, a green gaming platform with metal support handles

The G-PAC (Gaming Platform for Activity and Coordination): An Active Video Game Controller for Use in Elder Care Facilities

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Emma Latham and Han Yu Ruta Bhat

The nursing care market has a significant need for activities that promote physical
activity and social interaction while minimizing the increasing generational divide, and
exergaming with accessible controllers could meet such a need. The proposed product is a gaming board for active video gaming, specifically designed for accessibility and safety. Users may operate the device in two gaming modes: standing or wheelchair. For the standing mode, the user mounts the 2” board and navigates menus via the console’s standard controller. For the wheelchair mode, one must unfold the ramps and slide out the footrest to expose the tracks for the wheelchair. When the game starts, the user leans/ bends/ balances to actuate the game, exerting physical activity in the process. Incorporation of the CronusMAX allows this gaming platform to be connected with any console or PC, making the product a universal peripheral device. Movement from the user is captured by four load cells beneath the board, and the communication between load cells allows center of balance (COB) to be obtained. For users with minimal range of motion, a sensitivity adjustment allows the user to actuate the game with the same input as a higher-functioning user, essentially eliminating barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from utilizing. Our device will provide a unique approach to solving the problems of social isolation, depression, and physical activity, while also providing potential residents and their families with an innovative and modern perspective of facility, thus differentiating themselves from competing institutions.

RESNA Design Brief

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