While researching for more games that are innovative for stroke survivors, I explored my favorite art epoche ”Surrealism” and games that are connected to it. Surrealism supports students, for instance, to open up their minds to new creative inventions and in the way people think about topics.
A game in which I recognized immediate potential was the ”automatic drawing game”, also called ”expressing the subconscious”, which demands people to draw without thinking about what they are exactly doing. Pablo Picasso also used this method,(which could get transformed into a stroke survivor game).
On a board with a touch screen, lines could show up in which the patients would need to follow with a pen or an item that the individual could hold in the beginning and is easier to grab. The person would need to follow the line and with time this would speed up. In the end, the fake line would disappear and the person could see a beautiful drawing basically made by themselves. In the beginning, this might not be perfect but they could get the motivation to receive a better result each time they practice. This could not only motivate them but also train their hand, as well as mind for concentration, which would lead to new neurons connecting if trained often.
Meret Oppenheim. Object. Paris. 1936
Seeing how Surrealists often mixed unusual textures with other forms or objects, I started to ponder how this might be a solution for stroke survivors.
I deliberated and thought about the regular and everyday items each patient is using which could be transformed and adapted for a stroke patient’s needs. This means that just like the Oppenheim fur teacup it could get changed into tactile material. Nevertheless, this teacup is just an example and many regular items could get part of a stroke patient’s equipment. This would lead to them unconsciously using the exercise tools even without noticing it and this would not even require a lot of motivation.
This idea would be inspired by Surrealism and could change people’s daily exercise process.
Diverse materials that could be considered for normal items and used are some that are also applied to infant multi-textured balls or balls that have several sensories integrated into one ball.
There is also a game for infants in which they have to pop smaller balls into a bigger one and the smaller balls each feel different.
This could get transformed into a board with different forms and textures and the patients would need to pop in the form every time in the space where the light comes up.
https://www.motherandbaby.com/baby/play/sensory-balls-for-babies/