Project Circle
A collaborative game for children with moderate-to-severe cognitive and/or physical disabilities who experience difficulty with activities
Year: 2025-2026
Tools: Sketchbook Pro, Rhino, Keyshot, 3D Printing
Location: The Ohio State University
Project Director: Professors Kyoung Swearingen and Scott Swearingen
Team: Interdisciplinary collaboration with engineering, software, animation, and game design teams
Industrial Designers: Melika Akhteh
The strength of collaborative games is that they distribute activities between players and encourage them to work together to achieve a common goal. They promote social interaction, cognitive development, and can even improve the quality of personal relationships. All these benefits transfer directly to both children with disabilities and those without and have the potential for impact that goes beyond the child and extends into the community.
Circle is a collaborative gaming platform designed for children with moderate-to-severe cognitive or physical disabilities who often miss out on shared play experiences. Using human body communication (HBC), the system enables children and their caregivers to play together through touch, the primary input and a fundamental form of human connection. Because many children with significant disabilities experience touch only in essential care routines, Circle aims to transform touch into a joyful, expressive, and collaborative interaction that enhances their ability to participate in play.
Industrial Design:
The design of the wearable is a complex effort that bridges our sensor technology with the narrative of Escape to Planet-9, with the goal of facilitating collaborative play. We aimed to mirror the wearables that the “genius girls” fabricated in the story to complete the “remote-control rescue” of their robot friend. This narrative connection helped players see themselves reflected in the game world, strengthening immersion and engagement. Because of this, each chassis is uniquely designed, and no two look the same.
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At the same time, we carefully considered ergonomic factors and anthropometric dimensions to ensure the wearables were comfortable, safe, and adaptable for different users. Inspired by steampunk and retro-futuristic aesthetics, the chassis was intentionally designed to spark curiosity and evoke a sense of joy, creating something players would like to wear. By combining narrative grounding, technical function, and thoughtful form, the wearable became an engaging part of the overall play experience.
Ideation
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