Rohit Ashok Khot

Proxemics play: understanding proxemics for designing digital play experiences

Digital games are increasingly profiting from sensing technologies. However, their focus is mostly on sensing limb movements. We propose that sensing capabilities could also be used to engage players with proxemics: the interpersonal distance between players. We further add that wireless networks offer complementary distance zones for designers, offering novel design resources for digital play. We use our own as well as other games to articulate a set of strategies on how designers can utilize both proxemics and the new wireless proxemics to facilitate novel play experiences. Ultimately, with our work, we aim to expand the range of digital play.

EdiPulse : Investigating a Playful Approach to Self-monitoring through 3D Printed Chocolate Treats

Self-monitoring offers benefits in facilitating awareness about physical exercise, but such data-centric activity may not always lead to an enjoyable experience. We introduce EdiPulse a novel system that creates activity treats to offer playful reflections on everyday physical activity through the appealing medium of chocolate. EdiPulse translates self-monitored data from physical activity into small 3D printed chocolate treats. These treats (< 20 grams of chocolate in total) embody four forms: Graph, Flower, Slogan and Emoji. We deployed our system across 7 households and studied its use with 13 participants for 2 weeks per household. The field study revealed positive aspects of our approach along with some open challenges, which we disseminate across five themes: Reflection, Positivity, Determination, Affection, and Co-experience. We conclude by highlighting key implications of our work for future playful food-based technology design in supporting the experience of being physically active

Game jam

Game Jams - energized, fast-paced get-togethers of developers and artists to make digital games - have recently emerged as a way to generate and inspire novel game ideas and new ways of thinking. We intend to introduce the CHI community to this collaborative, fast-paced method of design by holding a game jam with an emphasis on developing novel user inputs as a way to explore HCI and to connect participants from diverse backgrounds. This game jam will introduce a successful model from a related field to the HCI agenda while developing collaborations between the two growing areas.

EdiPulse: Supporting Physical Activity with Chocolate Printed Messages

Designing to support physical activity is a growing field of interest in interaction design. However, existing explorations in this area have mostly focused on using screens to graphically report physical activity data such as heart rate. The use of edible mediums such as 3D printed food for representing such data opens up new possibilities and challenges to push the field forward. Supporting this, we present EdiPulse that 3D prints in chocolates, personalized cheerful messages and emoticons, displaying heart rate data from physical activity session. By varying the thickness of the printed letters and emoticons, the system also supports abstract visualization of the heart rate data, while the printed chocolate incentivizes participation in physical activity. Ultimately, with this work, we aim to inspire and guide design thinking on food printing and edible quantified self representations, which we believe opens up new interaction possibilities to support the physical activity experience.

SweatAtoms: materializing physical activity

Visualization plays an important role in motivating users towards physical activity. In this paper, we present a novel approach to represent physical activity in the form of material artifacts. We have designed a system called SweatAtoms that builds material artifacts using the measured heartbeat data during the physical activity. By crafting such material artifacts, our aim is to harness physical activity as a medium for self-expression and make the experience of participating in physical activity more engaging beyond screen-based feedback. This paper describes the implementation and design of the SweatAtoms system. We hope our work can inspire fellow interaction designers and researchers to consider the role of materiality while designing interactive technology to support physical activity.

EdiPulse: Turning Physical Activity Into Chocolates

We present EdiPulse that creates 3D printed chocolates displaying cheerful messages using the heart rate data of physical activity. Our work expands the view on representing physical activity data through the use of edible materials such as chocolates, which additionally serves as a hedonic reward for doing the physical activity. Ultimately, with this work, we aim to inspire and guide design thinking on food printing, which we believe opens up new interaction possibilities to support the physical activity experience.

TastyBeats: Celebrating Heart Rate Data with a Drinkable Spectacle

Visualizing heart rate on screen has become popular to measure physical activity performance and progress towards set health goals. However, we believe that this prevalent method of visualizing data often reduces the interaction to only reading of information. In response, we propose a new way of visualizing heart rate data through a public interactive water fountain installation we call, TastyBeats. TastyBeats engages participants in a fluidic spectacle by creating a personalized sports drink representing their heart rate data while serving the additional purpose of replenishing lost energy during physical activity. We present findings and three design strategies from the three exhibitions of this work to inform designers interested in using drinkable fluids to support the physical activity experience. Ultimately, with our work we aim to expand our understanding of the potential of interactive technology to support the energy-cycle when being physically active.

Sweat-atoms: crafting physical objects with everyday exercise

In this paper, we introduce a novel idea of associating physical exercise with the creative process of crafting physical objects. Our aim is to harness physical exercise as a source for self-expression. We present Sweat-Atoms, a 3D modeling and printing system, which generates abstract 3D designs using the heart rate patterns of individuals engaged in a physical activity. The crafted physical objects can act as souvenirs and be testimony to the invested human efforts in performing the physical activity. The preliminary responses to the system have been encouraging. Participants liked the crafting of their exercise patterns and they were eager to experiment our system with different physical exercises.

Future of Food in the Digital Realm

In recent years, Human Food Interaction (HFI) as a field of research has gained currency within HCI with a focus on how we grow, shop, cook and eat food using digital technologies. Advances in food printing technologies add an extra dimension to these established practices. Research is needed to understand how food printing technologies may affect our practices and relationship with food. This SIG meeting is structured to give HCI researchers an overview of current food printing practices and to discuss grand challenges associated with digital food. Our aims are to develop a stronger community surrounding digital food technology and Human Food Interaction (HFI) and help to move these fields forward via timely discussion and the sharing of successes and challenges. Participants will also engage in playful activities around food and will have an opportunity to create and taste 3D printed chocolates, helping them learn and debate the opportunities that exist with digitally printed food.

Sweat-atoms: turning physical exercise into physical objects

In this paper, we introduce a novel idea of crafting a physical object in tandem with the physical exercise using the heart rate patterns. Our aim is provide a new way of visualizing the exercise intensity. We present Sweat-Atoms, a 3D modeling and printing system, which generates abstract 3D designs using the heart rate patterns of individuals engaged in a physical activity. The crafted physical objects can act as souvenirs and be testimony to the human efforts invested in performing the physical activity. We believe the creative experience of crafting will help to change the monotonous nature of physical exercise.