Jürgen Scheible

PAC-LAN: mixed-reality gaming with RFID-enabled mobile phones

RFID (Radio frequency identification) is often seen as an enabling technology for mixed-reality experiences where all kinds of objects, even the most mundane and inanimate, can be equipped to provide interaction between the real and virtual worlds. These mixed-reality experiences could occur in all aspects of our lives, but one of the most easily envisaged is that of computer games. As the mobile phone has become the computer carried in the pockets of a third of the population of the planet, it would seem a natural platform for these mixed-reality games. Further, the emergence of mobile phones that incorporate RFID readers gives the opportunity for creating games in which players interact with real physical objects, in real locations, and provides enhanced gameplay and experience. In this article we present details of a novel location- and object-enhanced mixed-reality version of the Namco arcade classic, Pacman. In particular, the article presents a comparison of the game to other mixed-reality versions of Pacman; the rationale behind specific design choices made during game design and its subsequent implementation; and an analysis of the experiences of people who have played the game. Our system highlights the possibilities via use of physical objects and the combination of mobile phones and RFID of yielding new mixed-reality entertainment experiences.

MobiLenin combining a multi-track music video, personal mobile phones and a public display into multi-user interactive entertainment

This paper introduces a novel and creative approach for coupling multimedia art with a non-conventional distributed human-computer interface for multi-user interactive entertainment. The proposed MobiLenin system allows a group of people to interact simultaneously with a multi-track music video shown on a large public display using their personal mobile phones, effectively empowering the group with the joint authorship of the video. The system is realized with a client-server architecture which includes server-driven real-time control of the client UI to guarantee ease of use and a lottery mechanism as an incentive for interaction. Our analysis of the findings of an empirical user evaluation conducted in a true environment of use shows that the MobiLenin system is successful, addressing many of the challenges identified in the literature. The proposed system offers a new form of interactive entertainment for pubs and other public places, and the underlying architecture provides a framework for realizing similar installations with different types of multimedia content.

MobiSpray: mobile phone as virtual spray can for painting BIG anytime anywhere on anything

This paper presents MobiSpray, a novel interactive art tool for creating ubiquitous ephemeral digital art. The mobile phone is employed as a virtual spray can to spray dabs of digital paint onto the physical environment via large-scale projections. The gesture-based control of the mobile phone provides a natural pointing mechanism for the virtual spray can. Experiences from extensive field use around the world testify in favor of a successful design. Most importantly, MobiSpray liberates and empowers the artist to change the environment via large-scale artistic expressions.

Story Mashup: design and evaluation of novel interactive storytelling game for mobile and web users

This paper studies the design rationale and evaluation of an urban storytelling game called Story Mashup. In the game ubiquitous computing infrastructure is utilized to facilitate real-time interaction between mobile and web users. Textual stories written in the web by certain people are illustrated by other people taking matching photos with camera phones. Complete stories are then displayed on a large public display and on the web. To carry out a thorough empirical evaluation of the game design in a real world setting, the game was played in New York in September 2006 with 180 players and by people in the internet around the world. The results show that the adopted iterative design process succeeded in achieving the goals set for usability, user experience and game stimulation.

Graffiti dance: interaction of light, information, and environment

Graffiti Dance creates a collaborative space for the voice of a local community to express a statement about the world around them. Several participants become graffiti artists, painting with an arsenal of lights via virtual graffiti mechanisms. Colors, images, and terms from popular sources (syndicated news Images & Twitter) and local influences (from mobile uploads) are suggested for use in the graffiti. Participants and viewers watch the graffitis creation and receive feedback provided by a set of dancers who interact with the virtual (light) and physical space. Graffiti Dance presents a holistic experience using a plurality of sources that reflects our understanding of the world around us, how we speak out in public forums, and how we interpret the creative act.

Mobile group interaction with interactive video on large public display

We describe the MobiLenin system, which allows a group of people to interact with an interactive music video on a large public display using their personal mobile phone. The proposed system strives for addressing the challenges associated with interactive public displays. Firstly, how to entice people to interact with them [Brignall and Rogers 2003]? Secondly, while shared displays typically offer greater conceptual power and larger presentation space, they often limit interaction to one user at a time [Paek et al. 2004]. Mobile devices, on the other hand, disperse control and access to participating users, though limited conceptual power and smaller screen sizes often hinder dynamic interaction. Thus, connecting shared displays to mobile devices is an obvious way to leverage the best of both worlds. According to Paek et al. [2004], interactive shared displays are most suited for certain types of applications, including “collaborative tools allowing multiple people to contribute to a single goal”, and “arena applications involving competitive interaction” – the MobiLenin system relates to them both.

Human-to-dancer interaction: designing for embodied performances in a participatory installation

In this article we describe the creation and exhibit of a participatory installation performance. Graffiti Dance allows the audience to graffiti paint with light onto a buildings side and receive immediate local feedback from a set of dancers choreographed to respond to the movement on the public display. The installation is a holistic experience using a plurality of sources (syndicated news Images and Twitter) and local influences (from mobile uploads) that reflect our understanding of the world around us, how we speak out in public forums, and how we interpret the creative act. We present the results of the performance from the perspective of the audience and the dancers and present new directions for future performances.

Interactive snow sculpture painting

This video shows the live-painting of snow sculptures with dabs of digital paint, deploying a mobile phone (virtual spray can) with accelerometer, a PC and a video projector - creating 100% recyclable art. The technology used is called MobiSpray, which has been reported by the author at SIGGRAPH 2009 in the Art papers track. Using a mobile phone in this context allows the painter to roam freely (walk, stand, lie) around the target object, far or near in real physical space, while looking directly at its surface to see how the painting appears in real time. The phones keyboard keys are used for controlling the drawing tools such as spraying colors or spraying intensity.