Journal Week 1
1. i.Ge: Exploring New Game Interaction Metaphors with Interactive Projection
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. Although there have been many innovations in video game interactive technology, such as the introduction of Nintendo Wii or Microsoft Kinect, video games are limited to the screen and with pre-defined scenarios.
. This paper explores new interactive technique in video games:
- Bring games into physical environment by mixing it with virtual one.
- Enable users to create content for the games.
. The paper tries to inspire new concepts in multiplayer games and physical-virtual mechanics. It also tries to inspire new naturalistic HCI techniques.
. Related works in game design and Spatial Augmented Reality: Build Your World and Play in It, Twinkle, MotionBeam
. i.Ge : Interactive Video Game Engine, allows users to interact and play in their surrounding environment.
. Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) : technique of merging real world with projected image. (Or Projection Mapping)
. The game character can interact with digital objects (inside the game), physical objects (in surrounding environment) or mixed objects.
. The set-up includes a Microsoft Kinect to scan the environment, a projector, and a game controller. Computer vision library OpenCV for Processing is used to detect stage elements. These elements are detected with contour detection algorithm. The software is ported to openFrameworks for better performance.
. Limits and further works
- Limited use of digital content: cannot be created dynamically --> incorporate AI to be part of whole experience.
- The system fall short of 2D experience --> consider to incorporate the 3rd dimension --> more options for interaction
- Use of body interaction --> more engaging
Personal Comment: This is an interesting system/idea to bring games into our real world. Now the player is not only the one who plays game, but also create their own game. One idea is that: game development will evolve to a new model, when game studios create the frameworks, objects, and the user will be the one who design their own game using the physical environment around them. In this way, not every one will play the same game --> more creative, more fun. The system also has another limitation: it seems to work only with simple 2D games, but not with 3D games, and immersive game environment like FPS, sports games, .etc
2. VEII: A Toolkit for Editing Multimedia Content of Interactive Installations On-site
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VEII : Visual Editor for Interactive Installation. It is a web-based toolkit that supports content collection and composition like CMS, and it supports on-site editing with a mobile device.
. Interactive visual installation has become popular, but content is usually created in one place, and deployed in other places --> unexpected display issues, such as readability issue due to screen resolution, projection surface, .etc--> repeated process
. VEII helps to change the workflow of content creation and edition --> better result in shorter time.
. Basic editing tools : moving, scaling, rotating, change of font and color
. The toolkit includes 2 graphic interfaces:
- CMS-like UI for desktop and mobile devices
- Display component runs on target screen
. The editor supports various screen resolutions, aspect ratios and text in different languages.
. The mobile editor is touch based, and it support on-site editing --> observe result instantly.
. Future works
- Use of mobile device gesture (tilting to support distortion correcting)
- API for interactive content
- Support Bluetooth connection
- More field study to evaluate the effectiveness of the toolkit
Personal Comment: The toolkit is useful in making the process of creating and editing content for interactive installation faster and with better result. One idea is that, we can use this toolkit in visitor participating interactive art installation: visitors use their mobile devices to connect to a screen-based art installation --> creating, manipulating their own content.
3. The VideoMob Interactive Art Installation Connecting Strangers through Inclusive Digital Crowds
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