"Ball Paradise" is a tabletop game created through interdisciplinary collaboration within the "Vitality in Aging - Co-creation and Co-learning" project team at Taiwan Tech. It was designed specifically for the elderly by Taiwan Tech’s Department of Design fourth-year students, Ying-Fu Liu and Yu-Hsuan Chang. Played on a tabletop court, this game involves hitting balls, fostering competition, and providing a joyful avenue for senior citizens to exercise, learn, and relish the pleasures of playfulness in the moment!

The Taiwan Tech USR project team collaborated with the elderly members of Taipei Peace Elderly Church to enjoy delightful moments playing "Ball Paradise" together.

Designers Ying-Fu Liu and Yu-Hsuan Chang explained that the primary game components of "Ball Paradise" consist of five different colored balls and a corresponding ball court assembled with these colors. Players use a mallet to strike the balls onto the corresponding colored areas of the court to obtain those balls. The first player to collect all the specified colored balls wins. The equipment, including the balls and the court, is not just visually vibrant; it involves a clever design. The square-shaped court surface consists of irregularly shaped color blocks with various materials like sequin fabric, smooth surfaces, and textured particles, each with different friction coefficients. When the balls roll, they either assist or hinder depending on the player's skill and force applied. Each ball also possesses a distinct tactile sensation, allowing senior players to accurately select the desired ball if they can remember the shapes of the different colored balls.

The rules of "Ball Paradise" involve more than just scoring points by striking balls onto corresponding color blocks. By utilizing mallets, balls, the court, and additional accessories, there are three distinct variations in gameplay. Players can compete individually against others or collaborate with teammates to accomplish missions. Different gameplay modes require different strategic approaches.

Through engaging in ball play and competition, it brings joy to the elderly, allowing them to exercise, learn, and relish the pleasure of the present moment!

Designers Liu Ying-Fu and Chang Yu-Hsuan pointed out, "During the design process, the challenge was determining whether what we designed would actually be enjoyable for the elderly". Therefore, multiple field trials were conducted, continually refining the design based on the actual responses and feedback from the elderly participants and social workers. Witnessing everyone's enthusiastic involvement and joyful experience gave them confidence in their creation.

The team explained the rules to the elderly and introduced additional accessories like cards to expand the range of gameplay.

Professor Fang-Wu Dong, the co-principal investigator of the project from the Department of Arts and Design at National Tsinghua University, mentioned that this tabletop game is designed for mildly cognitively impaired elderly individuals, requiring a thorough understanding of their needs and preferences. Through data exploration and in-depth engagement with the design target and relevant stakeholders, the team conducted field observations and interviews with social workers, caregivers, and experts. With this deeper understanding, the team initiated the design concept and prototype development. Bringing the design prototypes into the field, they conducted tests with social workers and elderly participants, continuously iterating and refining the design process, ultimately completing "Ball Paradise," aiming to bring joy and benefits to the elderly.

Zi-Jing Yang, a student from the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Taiwan Tech involved in assisting with the activities, expressed witnessing the impact of detailed designs on enhancing tactile sensations and memory through games specifically designed for the elderly. Each element was carefully considered to meet the needs of the elderly, not only enhancing their on-site coordination but also evoking feelings of care and creativity, thereby bringing joy and warmth into the lives of the elderly.

The project leader, Professor Zhen-Yu Gao from the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Taiwan Tech (top right), led the team's participation in the 2023 USR Social Engagement Intercollegiate Exhibition in the Northern Region.

The team shared that during the experience of "Ball Paradise" at Taipei Peace Elderly Church, the elderly participants provided specific suggestions. For instance, before the official start of the "game", each player could familiarize themselves with the shapes of the different colored balls. When a designated color is called out, players close their eyes and rely on their tactile senses to feel different particles or protrusions to select the correct colored ball. This not only makes it easier for the elderly to score during the subsequent game but also helps in exercising their finger dexterity and improving tactile identification skills. (FB Page: "特調爺奶")

The primary components of "Ball Paradise" are five different colored balls and a corresponding ball court assembled with these colors.