Gamer+: SteadyGo — Posture-Based Game Control for Accessible Play and Rehabilitation

Gamer+: SteadyGo is a co-designed assistive game controller that transforms seated posture and weight shifts into in-game movement, enabling players with limited motor control to engage in both play and physical rehabilitation through immersive gameplay.

Project Video

Abstract

Gamer+: SteadyGo reimagines game control through posture, balance, and co-design. Created in collaboration with Li Siyi—a young woman with cerebral palsy—this project addresses the challenges of standard game controllers for players with limited fine motor skills. The resulting system offers an adaptive, seated interface where shifts in upper body posture and balance are mapped to in-game movements.

The core of the system is a pressure-sensitive cushion that detects subtle changes in weight distribution. These real-time readings are translated into game controls via an Arduino-based setup and custom button mapping. Players can lean, adjust posture, or engage specific muscle groups to trigger movements, making gameplay a form of physical engagement. Complemented by tactile buttons and joystick adaptations, the setup supports seated play with reduced strain on fingers and arms.

More than an alternative control scheme, SteadyGo also integrates principles from physical therapy, transforming game interactions into opportunities for strength training, posture correction, and motor planning. The system was refined through multiple rounds of co-design and testing with therapists and other adult cerebral palsy patients, ensuring that it adapts to individual needs and rehabilitation goals.

By centering the lived experience of disability and leveraging embodied intelligence, SteadyGo challenges conventional game design norms. It invites users, designers, and therapists alike to rethink how interaction can emerge from care, inclusion, and physical diversity—not just technical precision. As part of the broader Gamer+ initiative, this project contributes to a more equitable vision for play, where accessibility and agency go hand in hand.

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