An Interactive Play Mat for Deaf-blind Infants

摘要

There is a great need for the development of interactive toys for deaf-blind infants (1-3 year olds) to motivate their exploration of their environment, and develop their motor and cognitive skills. We describe relevant design criteria, gleaned from the literature and a discussion with professionals who work with deaf-blind children. We then present a toy consisting of a play mat with three activity areas: one for remembering and repeating vibration patterns and two for matching textures. Vibrators which turn on as the infant moves in the direction of an activity area, measured by pressure sensors, are used to encourage the infant to explore in that direction.