CONCEPTS

1. RP2 REALLY PLAYING TOGETHER

THE GOAL
The goal of this concept is to create an atmosphere in which the players will have the feeling that they are playing a real game together, this will enhance their communication.
THE CONCEPT
With the RP2 different traditional board games, such as monopoly and chess, can be played. As shown on figure 1, the board of the game you want to play can be placed in the RP2. Both players will have the RP2 on their desk so the same situation is created. One will move their own pawns, the pawns of the other player will be moved by the RP2 controlled by the computer. The optional technology to be used is described within the next paragraph. Additional board games and pawns can be bought and used with the RP2.
TECHNOLOGY
Movement:
The pawns could be moved with an electromagnet. The electromagnet would be connected to two-step-motors that will move it using the X- and Y-axis as a reference.
Another way to move them over the board would be to use several coils. When electricity is running through the coils a magnetic field will be conducted, using the coils in a specific order will make the pawn move to the place you want it to move to.
Recognition:
With the use of a webcam the pawns can be recognized, using some reference points on the board the location of the pawns can be measured by the computer.
Another way is using the coils described in the movement section. Each of the pawns will have a different coil within them. When a pawn is placed within the magnetic field of the coils underneath the board, the force of the field will change, according to the level of change the pawn can be recognized.
Elco Jacobs, from the TU/e electronics lab , pointed out that this is realisable, but he thinks that it’s not feasible within 5 weeks.
BENCHMARKING
There’s already an chess playing machine on the market that is based on the same idea. This game is only focussed on chess, the team thinks that more opportunities can be created when using different board games with the same device.

2. WE-DRAW

THE GOAL
The goal of this concept is to create the feeling that the participants are drawing/writing on the same piece of paper.
THE CONCEPT
The We-draw can be used when people want to express themselves in an old-fashioned way while having a video-conference, or using the Webchair. Both persons will have a placemat placed in front of them on their desk, when one is drawing on the placemat it will appear on his placemat as well as on the placemat of the other person.
This can also be used to play games together like tic-tac-toe and other games that you can play on a piece of paper.
Another way to draw together would be to use drawing tablets, or the pc. Both of the persons that are communicating will be able to make a drawing. A competition can be included if the persons need to make the drawing as fast as possible. Or that they need to make the same drawing together.
TECHNOLOGY
For the placemats E-ink could be investigated to find out whether it’s usable for this concept. It would be possible to place flat screen touch displays on the table to make the concept work.
There should be a programme made to link the placemats to each other on the computer.
BENCHMARKING
Apart from drawing tablet-oriented games on the net in which people can draw together or alone, and things like file sharing like we all know it from msn or other conferencing software no existing products were found that were similar to the concept of the WE-DRAW.


3. NUDDY



Brainsketching the Nuddy's


THE GOAL
The Nuddy is a small interactive robotic character, which will be designed to add value to the experience of communicating by video-connection. This will be realized by different interactions with the character. First of all the character can be used as a medium to communicate trough and visualizes messages. Secondly Nuddy can be linked to different daily objects to aid the user. Finally the character can be used to monitor and create a certain atmosphere concerning the videoconference.
CONCEPT
The main “tool” for the character to communicate messages will be projection. With a small built-in beamer Nuddy can project messages on the wall or table. This can be in form of plain text or illustrations, to make ideas or discussions more clear. The projection can also be used to leave a message for a person while he is not around. For instance, when the user arrives at home, Nuddy tells him that a friend wants to go out for dinner or have a video-chat. Nuddy can also be used to operate daily life objects in the room of the user, like light, TV, music or an alarm. In this perspective Nuddy can be seen as a small personal assistant.
Another feature of Nuddy is that he can be customized.
TECHNOLOGY
It uses a small beamer to beam information like messages left by other users or reminders. There needs to be a technology which can receive information from the token and send that to the Nuddy. Microprocessors are used to create psychical movement and process the data gathered from the token.
BENCHMARKING
There already exists a digital desktop buddy. This is 2D or 3D character appears on the desktop of the users laptop or pc. However this kind of desktop buddy is limited in its features and only provides a search and help function.

BUMPBUMPERCAR

Scenario BumpBumpercar


GOAL
The goal of this concept is to intensify the communication between the users by working together to control a remote control car.
CONCEPT
The users have a remote controlled car in their room. The control of the car is split between the users; this can be done in two ways:
- One of the users will control the speed of the car and whether it’s moving forward or backwards. The other user will steer.
- The car could be provided with only two wheels that can be operated. Both of the users will control one wheel, the left or the right one. If they both give the signal to the car to move forward the car will go forward. If the user of the right wheel gives the signal to go forward and the user that operates the left wheel signals it to go backwards, the car will steer left.
The goal of the game is to make the users work together to get the highest score. The users need to communicate very clearly to prevent the car from crashing into an object in either of the rooms, since they will not be able to see the car riding trough the room of the other. The time in which the cars will ride true both rooms without hitting any obstacles will be translated into point that the players will earn.
Both ways to operate the cars will require the users to work together to avoid hitting obstacles and thereby loosing points. The car is placed on the floor, which is the starting point.
As it is very likely the car will crash into an object, the cars will have a soft bumper al around.
A nice feature to ad will be to place a webcam on top of the cars. This will give footage to both of the users when one of the cars hits something. Then the last ten seconds of the trip will be shown to both the users.

TECHNOLOGY
An electromotor needs to be used to move the car; left/right and forwards/backwards. A radio control transmitter will transfer the signals from the computer to the car.
Pressure sensors will be placed in the bumper to indicate when the car bumps into an object.

SIDE IDEAS
Next to the concepts we had some other ideas to enhance distributed communication. These ideas are not focused on game play, that’s why they are placed in this chapter.
Mood-light
The idea is to use coloured light such as the Philips “living colours” to change the colour in the room of the persons that are communicating. By chancing the colours, the mood of the persons can be influenced. When this is used in combination with videoconferencing one could try to end up with the same mood for both of the persons. If this is achieved, better communication would be possible since the persons will be in the same mood.
2-Tune-in
To improve the distributed communication between people, music could be used. Music is a medium which is often used by persons to express themselves, for instance their mood, emotions or even their lifestyle.
The idea behind 2-Tune-in is that a playlist will be made based on the playlists of the persons that are participating in a video-chat, and the same music will be played for both users. The song that will be put into the playlist will depend on the mood of the users or on the subject of the conversation.
To match the songs with the mood, the heart-rate of the users could be measured or their emotions could be analysed with the use of face-recognition in combination with the webcam.
To match songs with the conversation, voice recognition could be used, to find keywords that are linked to certain songs that cover those subjects.
Token
The Token is a device that connects people to each other, who are often in each other’s neighbourhood. The Token will register which other tokens are around and will save this information in a database, this will provide the user the information of which people are often nearby him. This information could be useful because a lot of people work or live in the same environment as the other, but never really talk to each other because e.g. the barrier (or personal distance) between them is too large. The computer of the user will collect the data, combines both user profiles and will check whether they have common interests. The result of this could be that the persons will have a ‘conversation topic’ which could lead to personal contact. This wouldn’t have or less likely happened if they didn’t use the tokens. This makes it possible for people who have a psychological distance, but not necessarily a physical distance, to meet.

SOURCES
Technology discussed with Elco Jacobs from the TU/e Electronics lab, 04-27-2009.
Youtube movie (11-15-2007) Phantom Force Chess Computer (Autoplay Game),
Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJADuhQAUQ0
[Accessed on] 04-27-2009
Drawing game oriented on a tablet but also usable with a mouse
Available at: http://img.stamen.com/drawing/lines_splat.html
[Accessed on] 04-27-2009

IDEA SELECTION

TOP SELECTED IDEAS AND GUIDELINES

o Glasses to enter a virtual world together
o With use of augmented reality
o Customizable characters
o To place a screen on a daily life object, for instance a coffee mug
o Using colored light in both location to create the same atmosphere
o Using characters, like designer toys, to express emotions
o Characters as a medium to get in touch
o Even to get in touch with people far away off you but whom you are around with in daily life
o Combined playlist of both participants interests
o Dancing together on projected dance floor
o Mini-me, mini you, mini us; A rrobotic character designed to maneuver over the users desk to assist the user. A webcam is used for orientation.
• The robot can be used for different purposes:
• The Nuddy can aid the user by picking up pens or stick Post-Its on the desk for notes, turn
on light, pick up phone or select music to play
• Projection of drawings made on a tablet or illustration to make ideas, discussion more clear
• Projection used to leave messages for the other person when he is not around. This
messasge could be projected on the wall like: “wanna have dinner tonight?” or “Shall we
have a video conversation at eight o´clock?” or for loved ones “ I miss you bla bla”. The
projected message could be enhanced by adding music,which starts when the receiver
reads the message. Or illustrations or other files could be imported. The projected message
would be a surprise then for the receiver, when he enters his room.
• Messages could be left behind as sticky little strips with text on it.
• Shared interactive music playlist in a conference or normal video conversation. Depending
on subject of conversation and mood both users will have the same music, monitored by
both deskNuddy´s.
• Add Ambilight LivigColors to intensify atmosphere or mood.
o Race car controlled by both participants. One controls forward/backwards the other steers left and right. Both players will have a car in their home, both cars are controlled at the same time, the longer they drive without hitting anything the more points they earn.
o Drawing together on a digital drawing sheet, accessible for both user with a drawing tablet.
o Using webcam tracking combined with digital paper
o Using drawing pads make a drawing together
o Desk animals, give another meaning to regular desk items using webcam tracking the computer will play sounds when the objects are moved, a pencil will become a snake.
o Board games
o Different board games can be placed on top, magnets can move the pawns of the other
player(s) webcam tracking will register where the pawns are placed.
o NooMee (from Know Me)
3D puzzle:
• Using interests, passions or other sort of characteristics of each other to create a 3d
interactive puzzle. The puzzle is formed by illustrations, images etc that express certain
interests. The “pieces” are placed in a certain folder on their own computer.The puzzle
however only shows a part of the pieces. The participants have to search for recognition of
the images and link them to the other by interests hobbies experiences passions etc. The goal
is to intensify the distant relationship and connecting with each other on cognitive level.

• The 3D puzzle is a character with abstract forms like designer toys. On the body the pieces are
displayed as little boxes or more complex forms. To figure the puzzle out they have to
communicate to connect the different pieces to each other.
• Both users receive pieces belonging to the other. .
Award:
• Receive artwork drawing projected or displayed on the character. Or as appearance of the
character. This award is meant to inspire the user in their artwork, idea generation or other
activities
• Additionally AmbiLight LivingColors can be used to create a creative, relaxing, fresh or other
kind of atmosphere in both users environment.
• When one wins, the toy reacts on the by throwing its hand in the air and a simple cheer, and
when one loses the toy shuts its eyes, looking sad or makes a funny sad action.