Navigating the world and learning to like it: mobility training through a pervasive game

This paper introduces the idea that location based pervasive games can be used to make mobility training for visually impaired children more fun. The user centred development process which has been carried out in collaboration with both visually impaired children and rehabilitation staff is described and we present a novel game concept which combines locative play, sound traces and a physical catch movement. We report and discuss results of user tests and summarize our experience in a set of tentative development and design guidelines for this type of game.

[1]  J. Deutsch,et al.  Use of a Low-Cost, Commercially Available Gaming Console (Wii) for Rehabilitation of an Adolescent With Cerebral Palsy , 2008, Physical Therapy.

[2]  Jacob Buur,et al.  The design collaboratorium: a place for usability design , 2002, TCHI.

[3]  R. Welsh Foundations of Orientation and Mobility , 1979 .

[4]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  The Influence of Angle Size in Navigation Applications Using Pointing Gestures , 2010, HAID.

[5]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Pointing for non-visual orientation and navigation , 2010, NordiCHI.

[6]  Frank Dellaert,et al.  SWAN: System for Wearable Audio Navigation , 2007, 2007 11th IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers.

[7]  Steve Benford,et al.  Can you see me now? , 2006, TCHI.

[8]  David R. Morse,et al.  AudioGPS: Spatial Audio Navigation with a Minimal Attention Interface , 2002, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

[9]  Mads Haahr,et al.  Design and evaluation of player experience of a location-based mobile game , 2010, NordiCHI.

[10]  Stephen A. Brewster,et al.  Audio Bubbles: Employing Non-speech Audio to Support Tourist Wayfinding , 2009, HAID.

[11]  Liselott Brunnberg,et al.  Backseat Playgrounds: Pervasive Storytelling in Vast Location Based Games , 2006, ICEC.

[12]  Annika Waern,et al.  Pervasive Games: Theory and Design , 2009 .

[13]  Christoph Stahl The roaring navigator: a group guide for the zoo with shared auditory landmark display , 2007, Mobile HCI.

[14]  Parisa Eslambolchilar,et al.  "I did it my way": moving away from the tyranny of turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation , 2010, Mobile HCI.

[15]  Liselott Brunnberg,et al.  Games for passengers: accounting for motion in location-based applications , 2009, FDG.

[16]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Capturing better data: The potential for better insight into user's requirements through iterative prototyping , 1995 .

[17]  Virpi Roto,et al.  Interaction in 4-second bursts: the fragmented nature of attentional resources in mobile HCI , 2005, CHI.

[18]  Olli Sotamaa,et al.  All The World's A Botfighter Stage: Notes on Location-based Multi-User Gaming , 2002, CGDC Conf..

[19]  L. Vygotsky Imagination and Creativity in Childhood , 2004 .

[20]  Wei Liu,et al.  Human Pacman: a sensing-based mobile entertainment system with ubiquitous computing and tangible interaction , 2003, NetGames '03.

[21]  Matt Jones,et al.  Sweep-Shake: finding digital resources in physical environments , 2009, Mobile HCI.

[22]  Bruce H. Thomas,et al.  ARQuake: an outdoor/indoor augmented reality first person application , 2000, Digest of Papers. Fourth International Symposium on Wearable Computers.

[23]  Simon Holland,et al.  AudioGPS: spatial audio in a minimal attention interface , 2001 .

[24]  Staffan Björk,et al.  Pirates! Using the Physical World as a Game Board , 2001, INTERACT.

[25]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Soundcrumbs – Hansel and Gretel in the 21st century , 2009 .

[26]  M. Sile O'Modhrain,et al.  GpsTunes: controlling navigation via audio feedback , 2005, Mobile HCI.

[27]  Duncan Rowland,et al.  Interweaving mobile games with everyday life , 2006, CHI.

[28]  Tony Brooks,et al.  Play Therapy Utilizing the Sony EyeToy , 2005 .

[29]  Martin Pielot,et al.  Tactile Wayfinder: Comparison of Tactile Waypoint Navigation with Commercial Pedestrian Navigation Systems , 2010, Pervasive.

[30]  Ian Oakley,et al.  Urban Sound Gardens: Supporting Overlapping Audio Landmarks in Exploratory Environments , 2010 .