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HCI Research Paper, Prep for submission to AESST2025

Adaptive Gaming Controller

This research explores the development of an accessible DIY game controller for individuals with upper limb disabilities, focusing on integrating user participation throughout the design process.

Our study emphasizes empowering users with disabilities to craft their own personalized solutions through open-source tools, making assistive gaming technology more inclusive, cost-effective, and user-centered.

Duration

Oct 2023 - Present

Project Type

Team Research Project

Role

Hardware Design; Qualitative Analysis; Paper Writing

Instructor

Dr. Karen Cochrane, Embodied Computing Lab at the University of Waterloo

Current Status

Conducting user test in Canada.

Challenge

"How can empowering individuals with disabilities to DIY their own game controllers redefine accessibility and gaming inclusivity?"

What did I learn?

This project deepened my commitment to inclusive, user-centered design and strengthened my skills in participatory methods and qualitative research. By co-creating with individuals with disabilities, I learned the value of personalization and affordability in assistive technology.

These experiences shaped my future direction, inspiring me to explore innovative, accessible design that empowers users and addresses diverse needs.

Keywords

Accessible, game controllers, DIY assistive technology, upper limb disabilities, qualitative analysis methods, participatory design, HCI accessibility

Research Gap

Insufficient Inclusion of Disabled Voices in Usability Testing: Prior studies often test assistive gaming technologies with non-disabled participants, limiting the relevance and applicability of findings to the intended users.
High Cost and Lack of Personalization in Commercial AT: Existing accessible gaming solutions are often expensive and fail to address the diverse, unique needs of users with disabilities.
Limited Comparative Exploration of Analysis Methods: While Reflexive Thematic Analysis is widely adopted in HCI research, there is a lack of exploration into alternative methods like Dialogic/Performance Analysis, particularly within the context of participatory design for accessibility.

DIY Empowerment: Showcasing a process that enables individuals with upper limb disabilities to design and build their own gaming controllers using open-source tools, fostering independence and inclusivity.
Case Study Contribution: Development and iterative refinement of an accessible game controller prototype, incorporating direct feedback from disabled participants.
Methodological Contribution: A comparative analysis of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Dialogic/Performance Analysis provides new insights into their application in HCI research, particularly for designing accessible technologies.

DIY Empowerment: Showcasing a process that enables individuals with upper limb disabilities to design and build their own gaming controllers using open-source tools, fostering independence and inclusivity.
Case Study Contribution: Development and iterative refinement of an accessible game controller prototype, incorporating direct feedback from disabled participants.
Methodological Contribution: A comparative analysis of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Dialogic/Performance Analysis provides new insights into their application in HCI research, particularly for designing accessible technologies.

Research Main Contribution

DIY Empowerment: Showcasing a process that enables individuals with upper limb disabilities to design and build their own gaming controllers using open-source tools, fostering independence and inclusivity.
Case Study Contribution: Development and iterative refinement of an accessible game controller prototype, incorporating direct feedback from disabled participants.
Methodological Contribution: A comparative analysis of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Dialogic/Performance Analysis provides new insights into their application in HCI research, particularly for designing accessible technologies.

DIY Empowerment: Showcasing a process that enables individuals with upper limb disabilities to design and build their own gaming controllers using open-source tools, fostering independence and inclusivity.
Case Study Contribution: Development and iterative refinement of an accessible game controller prototype, incorporating direct feedback from disabled participants.
Methodological Contribution: A comparative analysis of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Dialogic/Performance Analysis provides new insights into their application in HCI research, particularly for designing accessible technologies.

DIY Empowerment: Showcasing a process that enables individuals with upper limb disabilities to design and build their own gaming controllers using open-source tools, fostering independence and inclusivity.
Case Study Contribution: Development and iterative refinement of an accessible game controller prototype, incorporating direct feedback from disabled participants.
Methodological Contribution: A comparative analysis of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Dialogic/Performance Analysis provides new insights into their application in HCI research, particularly for designing accessible technologies.

Arduino Code

Prototype

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Contact Yili

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Google Scholar