AREEF multi-player underwater augmented reality experience

This paper reports on AREEF, the world's first multi-player Under Water Augmented Reality (UWAR) experience. The underlying mission of this work was to bring computer games and entertainment applications from traditional settings into the water using Augmented Reality (AR) technology. We provide an application overview and present findings from our participatory design process that involved engineers and designers, as wells as end-users and water-park experts. The paper closes with a brief discussion of technical aspects that relate to Wi-Fi communication and computer vision tracking, and provides an outlook for future work

Jogo móvel com realidade aumentada para promoção da conservação da natureza: uma investigação integrada no Projeto EduPARK

A Educação para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (EDS) constitui-se um grande desafio para o ensino, pressupondo abordagens flexíveis do currículo e centradas na interdisciplinaridade. A presente investigação integra-se no Projeto EduPARK e surgiu ao aliar a necessidade de conservar a natureza com a tendência crescente da utilização de dispositivos móveis por parte dos jovens. O projeto desenvolveu a app EduPARK que promove uma experiência de aprendizagem interdisciplinar, ativa e contextualizada através de estratégias de ensino inovadoras que combinam mobile learning, game-based learning (GBL) e realidade aumentada (RA) com base em princípios de geocaching num ambiente de aprendizagem outdoor, o Parque Infante D. Pedro, em Aveiro. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar de que forma as estratégias utilizadas pela app EduPARK, com exploração do guião educativo interdisciplinar sob a forma de um jogo em formato quiz, criado no âmbito desta tese, promovem a motivação, a construção de conhecimento e sensibilizam para a mudança de atitude nos alunos em contexto de educação formal e não formal, ao nível da conservação da natureza. Sob orientação qualitativa e com o suporte do paradigma sociocrítico realizou-se um estudo de caso com 233 alunos em contextos de educação formal outdoor (envolvendo escolas) e educação não formal (envolvendo centros de estudo e centros de ocupação de tempos livres). A metodologia inclui inquérito (questionário pré e pós jogo e focus group); observação estruturada (grelha de observação) e análise documental (registos da app EduPARK). Os resultados obtidos mostram que o guião integrado na app EduPARK, em contexto outdoor, promoveu a motivação dos alunos para a aprendizagem. Os alunos revelaram que o que mais os motivou foi estarem ao ar livre, jogar em equipa e explorar a RA. Com base na aplicação de questionários pré e pós jogo, foi possível avaliar o nível de conhecimento dos participantes sobre questões relacionadas com a biodiversidade e alterações climáticas, bem como as suas atitudes de conservação da natureza. Verificou-se que os alunos já tinham alguns conhecimentos, mas que após a atividade se sentiram mais seguros e com conhecimento mais consolidado relativamente a conteúdos relacionados com a conservação da natureza; como por exemplo, a reciclagem do óleo, a conservação dos oceanos e o desperdício alimentar. No focus group os alunos mencionaram que o jogo foi divertido, educativo, interessante e inovador. Os resultados sugerem, ainda, que a app promoveu a consolidação de conhecimentos segundo a perspetiva integradora de várias áreas (Ciências, Matemática, Educação para a Cidadania) e que a RA e os recursos multimédia auxiliam os alunos a desenvolver uma melhor compreensão dos conteúdos relacionados com a conservação da natureza. Na visão dos professores, a app EduPARK com recurso à RA motiva os alunos para as aprendizagens, promove conhecimentos interdisciplinares e sensibiliza-os para a conservação da natureza.The Education for Sustainable Development represents a major challenge for teaching, assuming flexible approaches to the curriculum and focused on interdisciplinarity. This research is part of the EduPARK Project and emerged by combining the need to conserve nature with the growing tendency of young people to use mobile devices. The project developed the EduPARK app that promotes an interdisciplinary, active, and contextualized learning experience through innovative teaching strategies that combine mobile learning, game-based learning (GBL), and augmented reality (AR) based on geocaching principles in an environment of outdoor learning, Parque Infante D. Pedro, in Aveiro. The goal of this study was to investigate how the strategies used by the EduPARK app, with the exploration of the interdisciplinary educational guide in a quiz game format, created within the scope of this thesis, promote motivation, the construction of knowledge and raise awareness of the change of attitude in students in a formal and non-formal education context, in terms of nature conservation. This research follows a qualitative approach with the support of the socio-critical paradigm. A case study was applied to 233 students in a formal context (involving schools) and in a non-formal context (involving study and leisure centers). The methodology includes a questionnaire (before and after the game and a focus group); structured observation (observation grid) and document analysis (data from the EduPARK app). The results showed the use of the EduPARK app, in an outdoor environment, promoted students’ motivation for learning. The students revealed what motivated them the most was being outside, playing as a team, and exploring AR. Based on the responses to questionnaires before and after the game, it was possible to assess the student's level of knowledge on issues related to biodiversity and climate change, as well as their attitudes towards nature conservation. The students already had some knowledge, but after the activity, they felt more confident and with more consolidated knowledge related to nature conservation. For example, oil recycling, ocean conservation, and food waste were the three most mentioned attitudes. In focus group, students mentioned that the game was fun, educational, interesting, and innovative. The results also suggest that the app promoted the consolidation of knowledge from an integrative perspective of several areas (Science, Mathematics, Education for Citizenship) and AR and Multimedia content helped students to develop a better understanding of the contents related to nature conservation. From the teachers’ point of view, the EduPARK app and AR motivate students to learn, promote the construction of knowledge, and raise awareness of nature conservation.Programa Doutoral em Multimédia em Educaçã

Developing ideation cards to support the design of mixed reality games

Mixed reality games combine interactive digital content with real world environments, objects, and actors by utilizing a multitude of different sensors. While offering plenty of opportunities for designers, they are also notoriously difficult to design. This is in part due to them still being a relatively new form of gaming with only very few examples of commercially successful games. This means that the majority of aspiring designers lacks knowledge about the design space of these games – something that is crucial in order to create new and exciting experiences. While there exist several authoring tools to facilitate the development of mixed reality games, these tools do not provide guidance on the game design aspects. The design of mixed reality games is likewise bringing together experts from different domains (e.g. game design, technology, locales). In order to support this multifaceted and collaborative design process I have developed the Mixed Reality Game Cards. These are a deck of ideation cards that encapsulate the design space of mixed reality games in the form of physical playing cards. The cards can be used for rapid idea generation (i.e. creating a multitude of ideas from scratch in a short time) and in-depth idea development (i.e. further expanding and refining an idea). The Mixed Reality Game Cards consist of four types of cards to support idea generation as well as idea development. Opportunity Cards are the building blocks of an idea and describe potential elements of a design. Question Cards prompt the design group to consider the experience from different angles to refine the design. Challenge Cards surface typical design issues and problems that might occur. These domain-specific cards are supported by Theme Cards that are taken from the board game Dixit in order to provide additional domain-extrinsic sources of inspiration. I developed the Mixed Reality Game Cards iteratively over the course of seven studies following a Research through Design approach. This provided valuable insight into what makes ideation cards such powerful facilitators of collaborative design sessions. I identify content, appearance, and rules as crucial elements under direct control of an ideation card designer and tangible as well as playful interactions as dynamics that emerge during an ideation session. This thesis describes the development of the Mixed Reality Game Cards and uses the insights gained from this process to reflect on ideation cards as design tools in general, expanding our understanding of them

Developing ideation cards to support the design of mixed reality games

Mixed reality games combine interactive digital content with real world environments, objects, and actors by utilizing a multitude of different sensors. While offering plenty of opportunities for designers, they are also notoriously difficult to design. This is in part due to them still being a relatively new form of gaming with only very few examples of commercially successful games. This means that the majority of aspiring designers lacks knowledge about the design space of these games – something that is crucial in order to create new and exciting experiences. While there exist several authoring tools to facilitate the development of mixed reality games, these tools do not provide guidance on the game design aspects. The design of mixed reality games is likewise bringing together experts from different domains (e.g. game design, technology, locales). In order to support this multifaceted and collaborative design process I have developed the Mixed Reality Game Cards. These are a deck of ideation cards that encapsulate the design space of mixed reality games in the form of physical playing cards. The cards can be used for rapid idea generation (i.e. creating a multitude of ideas from scratch in a short time) and in-depth idea development (i.e. further expanding and refining an idea). The Mixed Reality Game Cards consist of four types of cards to support idea generation as well as idea development. Opportunity Cards are the building blocks of an idea and describe potential elements of a design. Question Cards prompt the design group to consider the experience from different angles to refine the design. Challenge Cards surface typical design issues and problems that might occur. These domain-specific cards are supported by Theme Cards that are taken from the board game Dixit in order to provide additional domain-extrinsic sources of inspiration. I developed the Mixed Reality Game Cards iteratively over the course of seven studies following a Research through Design approach. This provided valuable insight into what makes ideation cards such powerful facilitators of collaborative design sessions. I identify content, appearance, and rules as crucial elements under direct control of an ideation card designer and tangible as well as playful interactions as dynamics that emerge during an ideation session. This thesis describes the development of the Mixed Reality Game Cards and uses the insights gained from this process to reflect on ideation cards as design tools in general, expanding our understanding of them