SINGAPORE - Stress balls that stroke patients can use to play computer games are among the projects on display at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's open house.

The open house, which features 56 technology projects designed by the students, will run from Thursday to Saturday and is meant as a platform for potential industry partners to view the projects.

The stress ball system was designed by four students from the Information Technology and the Multimedia and Animation courses.

Squeezing the balls helps with physiotherapy exercises for stroke patients, those recovering from hand-related injuries or children with hand-eye coordination problems.

The patients can also use the balls to play computer games that involve diving for fish or deflecting bombs.

"It gives them something fun to do while exercising, instead of just pressing the ball which can get boring," said student Raynard Hadiwidjaja, 20.

The system has already undergone trial runs with four elderly patients from the Thye Hua Kwan (THK) Moral Society centres at Queenstown and Ang Mo Kio, as well as with three children from THK Children's Therapy Centre.

Other projects featured include a heat recovery system which uses waste heat from the air-conditioner to warm the shower, and a watch that can detect when elderly patients fall and summon help.