Firaz Peer

I'm in the game: embodied puppet interface improves avatar control

We have developed an embodied puppet interface that translates a players body movements to a virtual character, thus enabling the player to have a fine grained and personalized control of the avatar. To test the efficacy and short-term effects of this control interface, we developed a two-part experiment, where the performance of users controlling an avatar using the puppet interface was compared with users controlling the avatar using two other interfaces (Xbox controller, keyboard). Part 1 examined aiming movement accuracy in a virtual contact game. Part 2 examined changes of mental rotation abilities in users after playing the virtual contact game. Results from Part 1 revealed that the puppet interface group performed significantly better in aiming accuracy and response time, compared to the Xbox and keyboard groups. Data from Part 2 revealed that the puppet group tended to have greater improvement in mental rotation accuracy as well. Overall, these results suggest that the embodied mapping between a player and avatar, provided by the puppet interface, leads to important performance advantages.

Evaluating technology that makes physical games for children more engaging

Throwing is an important physical skill that lays the foundation for the ability to participate in many physical activities and sports experiences. We aim to support the development of physical skills through exertion game design; our focus here is on the design of an exertion based throwing game that aims to help children improve their ability to throw. We discuss the results of some initial play testing, and how these observations informed our game design.

Pictures at an exhibition: a physical/digital puppetry performance piece

Pictures at an Exhibition is a physical/digital puppetry piece that uses tangible interface puppets to modify a virtual scene projected at the back of the stage in real-time. Telling the story of a heist in an art gallery, the actions of the puppets are digitally reflected in abstract changes to an artwork in the scene. The piece merges traditional puppeteering practices with tangible interaction technologies and virtual environments to create a novel performance for the live stage.

Power puppet: science and technology education through puppet building

In this paper, we describe our approach to designing electronic puppetbuilding workshops for middle to early high school students. Power Puppet uses traditional puppet building materials paper and cloth as the main resources, together with simple circuits elements such as LEDs, batteries and magnets. We document our process of designing puppetbuilding workshops that include STEM education criteria. We collaborated with the Center for Puppetry Arts to design these workshops in such a way that part of the making will include basic electronic input and output components. We aim to open this tradition up for larger audiences to enhance hardware CS education in STEM fields.