Move With Me: Co-designing a Tangible User Interface To Promote Physical Activity Among Rural South African Children

Childhood physical inactivity and obesity are growing concerns globally, including in rural South Africa, where children often lack access to safe play spaces and well-resourced Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers and face increasing screen time. These challenges limit opportunities for physical development in early childhood. To address this, we developed Move With Me, a wearable tangible user interface (TUI) in the form of a superhero cape that encourages physical activity as a probe for further investigation. While many commercial technologies that encourage movement exist, they are unsuitable to rural communities due to their high cost and reliance on stable internet and electricity infrastructure. In response to these challenges, we co-designed a more contextually relevant solution with rural South African mothers using the technology probe to support the ideation and co-design process. The final cape design integrates motion sensors, LED lights, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and a solar rechargeable battery pack, delivering real-time feedback without internet connectivity or stable electricity. A companion mobile app gamifies movement with culturally relevant animations to engage children. We found that co-design empowered mothers to tailor the technology to their context, suggesting affordable components and re-purposing existing smartphone features such as sound and animations instead of using costly electronics incorporated into the cape. Their contributions led to a low-cost, offline-capable, and personalized TUI. Our work demonstrates how wearable TUIs, developed through inclusive design, can support physical activity in resource-limited settings. We contribute practical insights for designing sustainable technologies for rural contexts, emphasizing affordability, low power consumption, offline functionality, and the value of embedding co-creation throughout the design process.