Considerations for the design of networked exertion interactions

Research in human?computer interaction has begun to acknowledge the benefits of physicality in the way people interact with computers. Mostly, the role of physicality is often understood in terms of the characteristics of tangible computationally augmented objects, but here we are stressing that the physicality lies also within the interaction, not just the object. We use a subset of bodily actions, exertion interactions, as an example to demonstrate our point. Emerging designs, particularly within a game context, have shown that supporting such exertion interactions can enable beneficial experiences between geographically distant participants. We have reflected on several designs (from our own work as well as other's) in this area to identify practical considerations for the design of systems that aim to support and facilitate bodily aspects of physicality in networked environments. We hope our insights can serve as guiding tool for designers who are interested in creating future systems that support networked exertion interactions.