Maze app

project summary

The Maze app team developed a digital maze app that had a physical and tactile maze cover, allowing students with visual impairments different ways to experience a digital game. The first version was developed with AppInventor for Android. The team prototyped numerous maze designs and then programmed a single maze and it's physical overlay with was laser cut.

After very positive game play feedback, the team redesigned the app on large iPad Pro, taking advantage of its size and accessibility features. The team successfully programmed the Maze App in Xcode (the programming language for Apple products) and tested the game with its new larger laser cut maze overlay. You can use your finger or stylus to move along the maze. There are sounds which provide different cues, including possible classic game features like collecting keys. The digital maze can change colors to provide improved contrasts for game play.

This project is ready for new life! Could the maze's represent a city? a medieval castle? a baseball stadium?

red 3d printed maze on top of tablet.

Early prototype with 3d printed maze. This project shows the limitations of 3d printing, as this design took six hours to print. A vinyl cutter using simple card stock would generate results in minutes!

student demonstrating how a line is drawn across a tablet from maze start to maze finsih

Testing out the digital functionality of the Maze app

final view of Maze game. There is a laser cut maze made of light birch wood on top of the iPad. In the top left is a black circle which is your starting point and the bottom right a black circle for your end point. The maze is secured to the tablet with Velcro in the middle of each tablet side.

Fina product with wider spaces between maze walls. Physical maze is secured to the tablet with simple Velcro tabs.