Do You Hear What I Hear: The Balancing Act of Designing an Electronic Hockey Puck for Playing Hockey Non-Visually

Blind hockey is a sport that is gaining popularity in the United States after having an international presence for years. In blind hockey, a modified puck is used that emits sounds via ball bearings that rattle inside the puck when it is moving. The modified puck’s lifetime is minimal due to its lack of durability, and it does not provide feedback when the puck stops moving. This article presents an evaluation of multiple prototypes that investigate the appropriate acoustic profiles for an electronic version of a puck that has the ability to overcome some of these challenges. Our approach leverages the use of alternative 3D printable materials and the implementation of four distinct sound profiles: the league-standard puck in blind hockey, a 3.5kHz piezo buzzer, an 800Hz sine tone, and simulated white noise. We present the design and prototype of the pucks, along with benchtop and user validation tests of the prototypes, comparing them to the league standard puck with a focus on acoustic performance. Participants rated the white noise sound profile highest in pleasantness and loudness and the LSP highest in localization. The white noise sound profile was associated with lower angle and distance errors. Of the prototypes produced, the white noise prototype puck appeared to demonstrate the most promise for playing hockey non-visually. We close with a discussion of recommendations for future electronic hockey puck designs to support blind hockey moving forward.