Rapid Scout: bridging the gulf between physical and virtual environments

We explored how to bridge the gulf between physical and virtual environments for the sport of whitewater paddling. Field observations, critical incident analysis, exploratory prototyping, and field and lab evaluations were used to make discoveries. Lessons learned in this ethnographic process led to the design of a guiding, communication, and navigation aid for kayakers and canoeists. In designing "Rapid Scout", we gained insights on making virtual representations context-sensitive, coupling multiple perspectives, dealing with uncertainty, and extending human views. Ways to facilitate collaboration through shared graphic frames of reference were also explored.