Problem: Memory-related illnesses like Alzheimer's and Dementia affect many elderly individuals. Research suggests regular memory stimulation can help prevent or slow their progression.
Solution: Wordie is a tactile word-building game designed to strengthen memory in seniors at risk of dementia. Its engaging gameplay encourages short-term recall and spatial reasoning, key cognitive functions impacted by these conditions.
Wordie revolves around making words using lettered dice. If you have played Scrabble before, assume that you have to now form just a single word, but you are partially blind and the tiles are moving. To be more precise, they are revolving.
- In Wordie, words are to be formed using lettered dice.
- Drop the die in the allotted slot, while the remaining slots are hidden.
- Press a push button, which rotates the slots by one, thus opening different slots in every round to drop in a die.
- Finally, on completion of the word, the player will be able to check if they formed the intended word
- Rotating dice slots: Hidden slots conceal letters, challenging players to remember their positions and build a word sequentially.
- Push-button reveal: Rotates the slots one step, forcing players to recall previous moves and anticipate possible letter combinations.
- Adjustable difficulty: Different word lengths and slot configurations cater to various cognitive abilities.
- Tactile design: Large, numbered slots and chunky dice ensure ease of use for those with dexterity limitations.
- Improves short-term memory: Players must remember past letter placements and utilize them to form the final word.
- Enhances spatial reasoning: Remembering slot positions and anticipating rotations strengthens spatial awareness.
- Provides cognitive stimulation: Engaging gameplay keeps the mind active and promotes neural connections.
- 3D modeling software (Fusion360)
- 3D printing technology
- Siya Patil
- Sneha Gautam
- Soumya Malviya
- Sridhar Singh
- Sriram Srinivasan
- Srirangan S
- Srivathsa Vamsi
Wordie was developed as part of a college course titled 'Design, Innovation and Prototyping' in 2022-23.
We believe Wordie offers a fun and engaging way to strengthen memory in vulnerable populations. Through continuous development and feedback, we hope to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals facing memory challenges.
Feel free to contribute to the project by proposing improvements, sharing feedback, or even building your own versions of Wordie!