Tetsuo Yamabe

Playful training with augmented reality games: case studies towards reality-oriented system design

In this paper, we propose a reality-oriented augmentation approach to support training activities. The approach aims at adding new value and playful features to traditional training environments with keeping their original look-and-feel. For example, a game monitoring service enables to automatically record game events so that players can review a gaming process and strategy for soul-searching, or replay most impressive scenes to share the experience with others after the game finishes. Even several services are running on background, digital devices and services are seamlessly integrated to the game environment in unobtrusive way so that players can concentrate on training as usual. The concept can be applied to both traditional games (e.g., poker and the game of Go) and non-gaming activities (e.g., calligraphy and drumming). We developed four case studies on the concept: Augmented Reality Go, EmoPoker, Augmented Calligraphy and AR Drum Kit. We discuss design issues in the reality-oriented augmentation process based on user study results.

Citron: a context information acquisition framework for personal devices

This paper describes a context information acquisition framework for a personal device that equips a variety of sensors. The framework captures context information about a user and his/her surrounding environment; and the information is used to adapt the behavior of applications running on the personal device. Our framework adopts the blackboard architecture to execute multiple analysis modules that analyze signals from respective sensors. Respective modules implement different algorithms to complement each others results to retrieve more accurate and higher abstract context information.

Applying pervasive technologies to create economic incentives that alter consumer behavior

Economic incentives are a powerful way of shaping consumer behavior towards more commercially efficient and environmentally sustainable patterns. In this paper, we explore the idea of combining pervasive computing techniques with electronic payment systems to create activity-based micro-incentives. Users who consume additional resources by e.g., occupying an air-conditioned space instead of a normal space are levied additional micro-payments. In an alternative approach, consumers who choose to save resources are rewarded with micro-rebates off the price of a service. As a result, the cost of using a service corresponds more closely with the resources used, leading market mechanisms to allocate resources efficiently. A key challenge is designing incentive mechanisms that alter consumer behavior in the desired fashion. We introduce four incentive models, and present evaluation results suggesting that consumers make different decisions depending on which model is used.

Traditional games meet ICT: a case study on go game augmentation

While pervasive technologies explore new gaming styles, traditional games, such as cards and tabletop games are still appealing and have various irreplaceable flavors. We point out that tangible game objects and spatial interactions amplify emotional impacts in gaming; and the advantage cannot be reproduced in completely digitalized games. Thus we propose the concept of augmented traditional games, which aims at extending game features without losing original look-and-feel. In this paper, we introduce a case study on augmenting the game of Go. Our prototype supports several game modes, for example, a self-training mode for beginners. Based on an experimental study with the prototype, we discuss human factor issues in game design. We also suggest an augmentation framework for a wider range of traditional games as future work.

Experiments in Mobile User Interface Adaptation for Walking Users

vices to provide seamless user experience in diversified situations. However, while many research activities have addressed the im- portance of adaptation, proposed scenarios have mainly focused on users stationary situations and not on continuously moving state. In this paper, we scoped the user interface adaptation for walking users and proposed an approach to keep the viewability of displayed information while walking. Also, a prototype has been developed for the feasibility study, which aims to analyze effects of walking motion on users cognitive capability. This paper shows important factors in the user interface adaptation for walking users, which have been discussed based on our primitive experiments.

A Proposal on Adaptive Service Migration Framework for Device Modality Using Media Type Conversion

tance service, which can follow a user and support his/her work in any situations. In other words, application software on our framework can migrate from a device to another; even their hardware architectures are heterogeneous. In the vision, user interface (UI) is one important factor to provide fine usability and seamless user experience of the service to users. Since various kinds of use case could be considered, UI should autonomously adapt to the working environment without annoying the user. Therefore, in this paper, we analyzed possible use cases and discussed approaches to support the UI adaptation. Based on the UI technology study, we found that one important factor have to be considered in our scenario: That is diverse modalities, which comes from supporting heterogeneous devices as the service migration platform. Since we also target devices of which modalities are different from ordinary PCs, UI should change its computer-human interaction model after the migration. To address this challenge, we propose an adaptive service migration framework, which supports the UI adaptation. We also report results of several experiments on the framework.

UbiPay: minimizing transaction costs with smart mobile payments

Implementing an electronic payment system involves striking a balance between usability and security. Systems that allow payments to be completed with little effort on the part of the consumer, such as smart cards, carry a higher probability of incorrect payments. Systems that eliminate the possibility of incorrect payments by requiring explicit approval from the consumer, such as credit cards, make the system too cumbersome for small payments. In this paper, we model the usability and security tradeoff as a problem of minimizing the transaction cost imposed by the payment system on the consumer. We propose a mobile payment scheme called UbiPay that attempts to push this transaction cost towards zero by offering a range of user interaction modes and choosing the minimum sufficient one based on context data. The aim is to make paying like breathing: something we are only peripherally aware of unless we exert our resources beyond the usual. Results from a user study on a prototype system suggest that the concept is feasible. The idea has powerful implications for the economic organization of everyday life.

Experiences with building sentient materials using various sensors

In the future, every material will contain a computer and become smart. We call these materials sentient materials. Sentient materials can detect their state, and enable an application to change their behaviors according to its surrounding environments in a context-aware way. However, there are many difficulties about building a sentient material, which is especially inherent in using various sensors. We describe some issues for building sentient materials from experiences with building simple prototype implementations, and discuss how to solve the problems by using a concept of the world model.

Family interaction for responsible natural resource consumption

In this paper we propose a novel approach to persuasive technology, based on children-parent interaction, to be implemented in a smart pad ludic application; to contribute to the natural resource consumption problem, not only by raising awareness, but by encouraging informed decisions on their use. We conducted a survey to see which natural resources are more relevant to Japanese society. We designed an attractive multimedia tool, considering the family interaction, that uses eco-visualizations, a narrative and cartoon characters. If successful, we would achieve better informed consumption of food and other natural resources, reinforcing positive attitudes within the family.

Activity-Based micro-pricing: realizing sustainable behavior changes through economic incentives

In this paper, we further develop the idea of combining pervasive computing techniques with electronic payment systems to create activity-based micro-incentives. Economic incentives are an effective way to influence consumer behavior, and are used in e.g. marketing and resource coordination. Our approach allows marketers and regulators to induce consumers to perform particular actions in new application domains by attaching micro-prices to a wider range of behaviors. A key challenge is designing incentive mechanisms that result in desired behavior changes. We examine two basic incentive models. Based on the results of preliminary experiments, we discuss how economic incentives can affect consumer attitudes and lead to sustainable behavior changes.