A reader brought to my attention the work of EyeClick, an interactive multimedia advertising company that has been around for a few years. They create interactive floors, and use "intuitive body motion with floors and surface areas". -EyeClick
I've included several videos below, but for more information and related details, check out EyeClick's product page, which has a nice showreel, and information about the benefits of interactive marketing.
EyeClick appears to be similar to lm3labs, a company I've posted about previously.
I really like Tabula Digita's immersive 3D games for math, especially DimensionM for algebra. I recently learned that this company was the focus of an article in Forbes magazine. You can read the article online:
I first came across the people behind Tabula Digita at the 2005 Serious Games Summit, and I was impressed. Students really learn a great deal about math by playing these games, and it is more exciting than completing worksheets.
Here is a link to a TV news clip about middle school students in North Carolina who are participating in a research study under the direction of Dr. Albert Ritzhoupt, of UNCW's instructional technology program:
What isCRISTAL ? Control of Remotely Interfaced Systems using Touch-based Actions in Living Spaces and acronym for a project at the Media Interaction Lab at the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences, Digital Media.
Watch the videos:
"CRISTAL simplifies the control of our digital devices in and around the living room. The system provides a novel experience for controlling devices in a home environment by enabling users to directly interact with those devices on a live video image of their living room using multi-touch gestures on a digital tabletop." -mediainteractionlab, YouTube
The CRISTAL project is a collaboration between several people, spanning across a few universities, according to the Media Interaction Lab website:
Christian Rendl Media Interaction Lab Florian Perteneder Media Interaction Lab Thomas Seifried Media Interaction Lab Michael Haller Media Interaction Lab Daisuke Sakamoto University of Tokyo Jun Kato University of Tokyo Masahiko Inami Keio University Stacey D. Scott University of Waterloo
CRISTAL received the Best Emerging Technology Award at the 36th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH 2009)
Below is a sample of the Interactive Media Lab's publications:
M. Haller, P. Brandl, C. Richter, T. Seifried, J. Leitner, and A. Gokcezade, 2009. "Interactive Displays and Next-Generation Interfaces." Springer, 2009. [bibtex]
C. Köffel, W. Hochleitner, J. Leitner, M. Haller, A. Geven, and M. Tscheligi, 2009. "Using Heuristics to Evaluate the Overall User Experience of Video Games and Advanced Interaction Games." Springer, 2009. [in press] [bibtex]
M. Haller, C. Forlines, C. Koeffel, J. Leitner, and C. Shen, 2009.
"Tabletop Games: Platforms, Experimental Games and Design Recommendations." Springer, 2009. in press [bibtex]
J. Leitner, M. Haller, K. Yun, W. Woo, M. Sugimoto, M. Inami, A. D. Cheok, and H. D. Been-Lirn, 2009. "Physical Interfaces For Tabletop Games," Computer Entertainment, vol. XX, p. XX, 2009. [bibtex]
One of the people involved in the CRISTAL project is Stacey D. Scott, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is also the director of the Collaborative Systems Laboratory. The Collaborative Systems Laboratory focuses on fundamental interfaces and interaction techniques for shared large-screen displays, such as multi-display environments and social-supporting digital tabletop interfaces, and also collaborative and decision support interfaces for complex, time-critical team environments.
To follow up on my last post about Microsoft and emerging technology, I thought I'd link to an article that will give you an idea of how far (or not) application development for the Microsoft Surface has come in the past two years: Killer Apps for Microsoft Surface: The Complete Guide [updated](Chris Dannen, Fast Company, 8/11/09)
I came across the picture below today, and discovered more about it in a CNET article:
"Gesture-recognition technology, such as that seen in Project Natal, has changed the face of gaming, but Microsoft's Craig Mundie (pictured) believes it will also transform the office." (Ina Fried, CNET)
This approach looks like it incorporates visual thinking and conceptualization in a nice and fluid way.
According to Fried, author of the the linked CNET article, Craig Mundie, at the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit this past July demonstrated the set-up in the above picture. The demonstration "...included hologram-like videoconferencing, a virtual digital assistant, and multiple surface computers, along with voice-, touch- and gesture-recognition technology. The desk in the demo was a multitouch surface computer, and the office's walls were also a display that could easily switch from being a virtual window or collection of digital photos to a corkboard of sticky notes or various workspaces. In one case, Mundie also used Project Natal-like depth cameras to put himself in the middle of an architectural demo, essentially putting himself inside a building that was not yet built."
The author of the above article was also at the Microsoft Research Faculty Summit and touched on the concept of natural user interfaces:
“All the things we talk about as natural user interfaces have been largely used one at a time as enhancements to [graphical user interfaces],” Mundie said. Gesture recognition, expressive responses, immersive 3-D virtual environments, and understanding of context—these advances in computing algorithms will lead to software that is “better at anticipating what you might want.”
When I find a video of the Project Natal/Surface/Natural User Interface Office in action, I'll be sure to post it!
Why this is important:
Natural user interfaces might have the potential to support more efficient and effective collaboration among people in the workplace, and the visual display of information may also support better decision-making and problem solving.
As I set out to revisit some of my early posts on this blog, I came across a link to a review the Flower game, created for the Playstation 3 by Jenova Chen, Kellee Santiago, and other members of thatgamecompany.It is good to know that this group continues to work towards the goal of creating innovative games that provide gaming experiences that are calming, pleasant to use, and are unlike most game genres.
Flower (Credit: IGN)
"Supported HD Output: 720p, 1080i, 1080p- From the same developers that brought you the serene flOw comes Flower, whose gameplay has players guiding a flower petal across gorgeously rendered fields and plains, replete with individually modeled leaves of grass that blow and sway in the wind. Colorful, peaceful, and exhillerating, Flower is a difficult game to describe, and simply must be experienced in all it’s HD beauty to truly be appreciated. A real gem."
(Flower is played with the Sixaxis wireless game controller that can sense motions and provide precision in interactive game play. The Sixaxis was recently replaced by Duoalshock 3, which provides motion sensing and rumble.I'm not sure if the new controller works with Flower.)
The following video review by Pete Dorr won't give enough details about the game to spoil it for you. Go ahead and watch the review!
Since I don't have a PS3 (yet), I'm sharing a couple of reviews of Flower that I found on the IGN website:
"thatgamecompany's mellow, beautiful adventure through the dreams of plants starts out so disarmingly pleasant that one would be forgiven for assuming it's just a game about flying around and picking up flower petals. It's not until one experiences the couple-hour experience from beginning to end (preferably with 5.1 audio, the lights off and no human distractions) that the game really gets its emotional hooks into you. Without ever introducing a single line of dialogue, any characters (at least in the traditional sense) or clear goals, Flower takes you on a ride that's over far too soon, yet somehow seems just right for what it's trying to do: suck you into a world without the usual video game trappings while playing with your emotions in a way no amount of manufactured tear-jerk dialogue or surprise deaths ever could. It really is unlike anything else you'll ever play and stands as one of the best (if not the best) examples of SixAxis motion controls on the PS3."
"thatgamecompany has depicted something that I never once imagined: what would a flower's dream look like if we could see it?Flower, a PS3 downloadable that comes as a spiritual successor to flOw, is one of the most beautiful games that I've ever played. Not just because the visuals are entirely breathtaking, but also because the experience of playing it offers more enjoyment, emotion and enlightenment than any game I've tried in years."
"Before you read on, keep in mind that Flower isn't quite for everyone. There will be those that experiment with it but won't see the point, as it strays so far from the traditional spectrum of gameplay systems, but it's truly worth playing...Flower is a poem, where you as the player participate in the dreams of flowers confined to the ever-changing landscape of a colorless city. Each dream, or stage, revolves around a different theme and gameplay objective, but your method of control remains the same: tilt the controller to direct a series of flower petals through beautiful environments. Press any button to stir up a wind that will coax them along. As you begin with one flower petal, you'll soon touch other flowers and gather more petals, generally influencing the environment in a way that pleases the dreamer. This setup works amazingly well to create varying tasks for you to enjoy..." Flower was listed as one one of the best games for the Playstation 3 for HDTV, along with a flOw, a 2006 game from the same company:
flOw "Supported HD Output: 720p, 1080i, 1080p- Calm, serene, and beautiful in it’s simplicity, flOw was one of the first PSN titles released when the Playstation 3 launched in November 2006, and it’s still a gorgeous work of art. From the calming music, to the simple gameplay, flOw proves that you don’t need high resolution textures and thousands of animations to produce a beautiful image."
"FlOw is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and advance their organisms to the abyss."
I came across Cloud about four years ago, when I was looking for non-violent games that could support relaxation and stress-reduction. Cloud was created by some of the members of thatgamecompany when they were students at UCS.
I later posted about how I used the game in in my work as a school psychologist:
Cloud is a relaxing, nonviolent game, created by graduate students at USC. The character, a child, flies around, collecting clouds and putting them into puzzles in the sky. The music is very soothing. The game is free and can be downloaded through the website. This game could be used to help relax students with anxiety disorders, Asperger syndrome, etc., develop coping strategies. Here is the link to the Cloud video trailer.
(I use the Cloud Game as a form of crisis intervention with students undergoing high level of agitation and stress at the middle and high school level.)
Below is a video of the Cloud game, which was designed for use on a computer. It still appears to be available for free from the USC website.
"being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."
The game went on to become an award-winning PS3 game. The early web-based version of flOw is free, and some of the gameplay can be done using your finger on a touch screen. The music is relaxing, almost hypnotic.
Why this is important:
There is a need for games that can be used for relaxation, as most commercial games focus on action and thrills, often delivered through violence.
(Pictures and videos are from the IGN website, YouTube, and related websites.)
