Research project at the Human Computer Interaction Group of University of Technology Vienna.
Social Play is one of the most elementary schools of life. But different children play differently, and the differences are especially striking within groups of neurodiverse children. Typical traits in autism, such as impaired social and communication skills and repetitive behaviours, make social play particularly challenging for children diagnosed on the spectrum, exposing them to a wide range of mental health risks. How could interactive technologies support such heterogeneous groups in engaging in social play? In a 3 year research project and over the course of 50 Participatory Design workshops with groups of neurodiverse children aged between 6 and 10 years, we've developed three different platforms for Social Play:

MUSIC PADS. No need to choose between gym and music class! The wooden hexagons laid out on the floor react to pressure and carry sound and light information. By joining in on social play, the children can produce their own jumping symphony – or cause a lot of noise (which can feel nice! Once in a while.). Different combinations of pads result in different effects – when the red button is hit, the sounds get redistributed. Nurturing Constructive Disagreement – a key design element of SPT.

LIGHT SPACES. The yellow, blue and red lights sewn into our fabrics add drama and atmosphere to an elaborate system of caves that was once a classroom. Some rooms were built for community, some for hermitage, with light signals travelling back and forth via textile blobs. Colours mix when the blobs are pressed at the same time. Could these planned dependencies and digital relations help the children engage in social play?

PICTURE STAGE. Drawing is often a rather solitary act – and that's fine. But sometimes it's good to share: to have others interpret your sketches, to add their thoughts for your drawing to evolve and use your work as playground – to engage in social play. That's the right time to turn on our special desk lamp: Equipped with a camera and object recognition, it communicates with a projector and shares whatever happens under its bright light. Little coded effect cubes allow to experiment with filters, until your elaborate subway route drawing has become a playing field for your friends to play on!

Read our booklet!


