Lisa Blum

Tidy city: a location-based game supported by in-situ and web-based authoring tools to enable user-created content

This paper presents the location-based game Tidy City and the accompanying authoring tools that enable users to create new scavenger hunt like missions. In the game the players need to physically explore their city by interpreting clues to find the correct target destination. The in-situ authoring tool Tidy City Scout enables designers to likewise walk around the city and collecting notes, images and GPS data for potential riddles. The riddles are finalized in a web-based authoring tool and then published to all players of the game. The game and its tools are freely accessible for non-commercial purposes at http://totem.fit.fraunhofer.de/tidycity.

Subjective and behavioral presence measurement and interactivity in the collaborative augmented reality game TimeWarp

Presence is usually assessed via a variety of subjective and objective measures. However, constraints often result in subjective measurements using questionnaires as a key method of data collection. In this paper we present a study of 44 participants of a collaborative augmented reality game known as TimeWarp which used both subjective and objective behavioral measures. Behavior as coded from video recordings of one scene of the game and self-reports about feelings of presence were compared. Our findings indicate that pointing behavior and verbal responses to the virtual content are correlated negatively to sense of presence. We further investigated the influence of subjectively perceived interactivity on perceived presence. We found that the interaction possibilities perceived by the participants predicted their experience of social presence with the virtual characters in the game. Furthermore, playing together with another person did not result in decreased social presence of the virtual characters. Implications for presence research are discussed.

The final TimeWarp: using form and content to support player experience and presence when designing location-aware mobile augmented reality games

Designing Augmented Reality location aware games requires an understanding of how form and content issues impact on presence. A study of 60 players was conducted using questionnaires, video analysis and interviews. The results indicate that content including: moral dilemmas, strong narratives, using real locations effectively and applying simple physical behavior within virtual characters to improve embodiment have a positive impact on player experience. The results are presented in the form of guidelines.

Augmented reality under water

Fascinated by a stunning variety of corals and fishes or mysterious wrecks more and more people are attracted by snorkeling and diving adventures. Virtual Reality scenarios like the virtual oceanarium [Froehlich 2000] try to satisfy this interest by allowing for discovery of underwater worlds in a riskfree and comfortable way, but a realistic feeling of diving is never achieved by virtual submarine worlds.

Designing Mobile Augmented Reality Games

In the gaming area, augmented reality (AR) and especially mobile augmented reality provides unique opportunities. Unlike traditional video games, mobile augmented reality games are not imprisoned in the screen-space but provide for interaction with the world that surrounds us. They incorporate real locations and objects into the game, therefore tapping into a set of pre-existing thoughts, emotions and real-life experiences of its players, which in turn provides the material for a much richer gaming world and user experience. In mobile augmented reality games the playing area becomes borderless and they can be played literally anywhere and anytime. The current advancement of modern cell phone technology is finally giving more people than ever the hardware necessary to participate and experience such games.

Interactive Bits: Prototyping of Mixed Reality Applications and Interaction Techniques through Visual Programming

The development of mixed reality (MR) applications typically requires a substantial amount of effort and programming skills. This is due to the fact that no standard interfaces and devices exist. Therefore, user interface elements and interaction techniques typically have to be implemented individually. In this paper we present our approach for supporting the development of mixed reality applications and interaction techniques using the concept of interactive bits. We developed this via a component-based approach allowing for modeling interaction techniques, object behaviors, virtual devices through to entire MR applications. We show how this process can be significantly enhanced by using a visual programming environment. Finally we present a set of typical examples demonstrating the potential of the approach.

Playing on AREEF: evaluation of an underwater augmented reality game for kids

This paper reports on a study of AREEF, a multi-player Underwater Augmented Reality (UWAR) experience for swimming pools. Using off-the-shelf components combined with a custom made waterproof case and an innovative game concept, AREEF puts computer game technology to use for recreational and educational purposes in and under water. After an experience overview, we present evidence gained from a user-centred design-process including a pilot study with 3 kids and a final evaluation with 36 kids. Our discussion covers technical findings regarding marker placement, tracking, and device handling, as well as design related issues like virtual object placement and the need for extremely obvious user interaction and feedback when staging a mobile underwater experience.

AREEF Multi-player Underwater Augmented Reality experience

This paper reports on AREEF, the worlds first multi-player Under Water Augmented Reality (UWAR) experience. The underlying mission of this work was to bring computer games and entertainment applications from traditional settings into the water using Augmented Reality (AR) technology. We provide an application overview and present findings from our participatory design process that involved engineers and designers, as wells as end-users and water-park experts. The paper closes with a brief discussion of technical aspects that relate to Wi-Fi communication and computer vision tracking, and provides an outlook for future work.

TOTEM.Scout: A mobile tool for in-situ creation of location-based content

This paper presents a user-study of the TOTEM.Scout mobile tool that has been developed for in-situ creation of location-based content for games and edutainment applications based on configurable data templates. It works in cooperation with the TOTEM.Designer web-based tool and enables convenient structuring, management and export of the created content to prepare arbitrary location-based experiences. We motivate the necessity of this tool as well as its architecture, and describe the layout, results and findings of the performed case study in a real context of use. The results provide insights into possible improvements in terms of user interface and the tools functionality design, and suggest new features for data collection and management.