The world’s first Assistive GameMaster tournament was held at the Medical College of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, on Oct. 6 with nearly 60 physically challenged players from various counties and cities across Taiwan pushing their limits in a hope to win a trophy.

“It is a groundbreaking event ever held throughout the world,” said Ching-Hsing Luo, professor from Department of Electrical Engineering, NCKU, who organized the nationwide tournament.

Originating from Taiwan, Assistive GameMaster Tournament has made its first step toward an international humanitarian tournament, Luo added.

“Luo is an admirable professor who devotes himself not only to teaching but also to developing high-tech aids to meet the needs of people with disabilities,” said President Hwung-Hweng Hwung of NCKU at the opening ceremony.

Hwung called for the extension of this event to the regions in Asia and then to the whole world, to help physical challenged players to have fun and improve their quality of life by accessing advanced technology.

Under the support of President Hwung and preparation from different parts of Taiwan, the preliminary tournament has been held nationwide, Luo pointed out, adding that all equipment used in this event are newly developed from projects sponsored by National Science Council.

Three special events were held in this tournament-- online Morse Code Competition, EEG Archery and Typing Competition, and Multi-Mouse Cooperating Competition.

In the tournament, 3 players from Taipei and 3 players from Tainan who suffer from spinal cord injury competed online in the first event by using Morse Code controller pacifiers.

The device enables them to communicate via Internet connection through long distances and helps them establish an independent life style, said Luo.

By applying EEG equipments which was sponsored by Prof. Jiun-Cheng Chiou from China Medical University hospital, the severely physically challenged can not only use computers but express themselves freely regardless of their physical limitations.

The Multi-Mouse Cooperating Competition equipment, developed by Prof. Ching-Hsiang Shih’s research group of Dong Hwa University, is a novel competition that encourages moderately and severely physically challenged people to cooperate and win the game by team work.

The preliminary Functional Classification System used in the tournament is in accordance with International Paralympics Games classification principal.