PatRec: A Mobile Game for Learning Social Haptic Communication

Social Haptic Communication (SHC) is one of the many tactile modes of communication used by persons with deafblindness to access information about their surroundings. SHC usually involves an interpreter executing finger and hand signs on the back of a person with multi-sensory disabilities. Learning SHC, however, can become challenging and time-consuming, particularly to those who experience deafblindness later in life. In this work, we present PatRec: A mobile game for learning SHC concepts. PatRec is a multiple-choice quiz game connected to a chair interface that contains a 3x3 array of vibration motors emulating different SHC signs. Players collect scores and badges whenever they guess the right SHC vibration pattern, leading to continuous engagement and a better position on a leaderboard. The game is also meant for family members to learn SHC. We report the technical implementation of PatRec and the findings from a user evaluation.