Sensory perception from Apollo Creative (From York Press)

Sensory perception from Apollo Creative

9:13am Friday 1st February 2013 in Business news

A NORTH Yorkshire business, which develops sensory equipment for disabled people, has turned a games console controller into a musical instrument.

Apollo Creative, based in Knaresborough, has engineered the wireless Xbox controller into its Ensemble technology, which employs other sensors, switches and pressure pads to trigger lighting, sound, image and video.

The technology enables people with severe learning or physical disabilities to play music and tell stories by transforming their body movements into sound, light, images and video.

Mark Hildred, creative director, said that often young people with physical disabilities can be put off by specialist equipment which can appear too childish or emphasise their differences. But, he said, the games controller had an inbuilt “cool” factor and was often already familiar to the user.

The business was shortlisted for an award in the ICT Special Educational Needs Solutions category at the British Educational Training & Technology (Bett) Awards for its Ensemble package.

Mr Hildred said Apollo intended to widen its appeal in the broader education sector in 2013.

He said: “We primarily supply Ensemble equipment to the special needs market, but have a number of situations where it’s used in mainstream settings including a pilot project to introduce nursery children to music.”