Children in extended hospital stay are often plagued with long periods of inactivity either due to the nature of their illness or to lack of psychological motivation that often accompanies extended hospital stay. Research shows that providing children with physically and mentally stimulating activities improves their general well-being and overall health1–3. By providing children with a fun, engaging device that encourages them to be more active, this proposal aims to improve the quality of life of children in temporary to extended hospital stay.

The 3D Interactive Art Canvas provides hospitalized children with the motivation to “get up and get moving.” The 3D Interactive Art Canvas will use the 3D mapping capabilities of the Walabot Pro to track the movements of the child in 3D space similar to the AirPiano project. Hand gestures will be mapped to brushstrokes creating a live, interactive experience for the user. Designs will be created in real-time and will be displayed on a computer screen or accompanying smartphone app giving immediate visual feedback of the creation in progress. The Walabot Pro will also be paired with a virtual reality headset enabling the user to visualize the creation in real-time and in real 3D space.

Many initiatives to increase the activity level of children in temporary to long-term hospital stay have been enacted. One such initiative is Maker Therapy (makertherapy.com), which aims to bring interactive makerspaces to children’s hospitals to improve the activity of hospital patients and provide a good learning avenue. Since its early inception, I have partnered with Maker Therapy to bring cool electronic widgets to hospitalized children. I envision the Walabot Pro 3D Interactive Art Canvas can be placed on makerspaces to make hospital stay more enjoyable for children. The scope of my project proposal extends beyond the time frame of the contest. If my idea is selected to receive a free device, it will continue in the coming semester as a Senior Design project at Purdue University, where I am currently enrolled.

1. Elwell, L., J. Powell, S. Wordsworth, and C. Cummins. Health professional perspectives on lifestyle behaviour change in the paediatric hospital setting: a qualitative study. BMC Pediatr. 14:71, 2014.
2. Krishnan, G. Designing a Mobile Makerspace for Children’s Hospital Patients: Enhancing Patients’ Agency and Identity in Learning. , 2015.at
3. Phillips, L. J., R. L. Hammock, and J. M. Blanton. Predictors of Self-rated Health Status Among Texas Residents. Prev. Chronic. Dis. 2:, 2005.