Modification of an Air Hockey Table for Recreational Use by People With Disabilities
By Doud, Brian; Jensen, John; Pinyopurarerk, Chanan; RESNA 26th International Annual Conference 2003,Publication Date: 2003
Paper discusses a modification made to an air hockey game to make it accessible for students at the Rosedale School in Austin, Texas, which aims to serve the needs of students with severe physical, cognitive, and learning disabilities. The design features two sets of manually operated flippers and two sets of solenoid-actuated flippers, similar to the mechanisms used in pinball machines. The guide rails were modified by lining them with aluminum, which deflects the puck more effectively than wood. Another modification added to the final prototype was a sound alert to signal a goal scored. The staff at the Rosedale School were overwhelmingly pleased with the modification. An important aspect of the design was that the students could observe the cause and effect relationship involved in activating the flippers, hitting the puck, and hearing a sound when a goal is scored.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
