Measuring straight time in elite short track speed skating relays

In short track speed skating, the relay exchange provides an additional strategic component to races by allowing a team to change the skater involved in the pack race. It is thought that during this period of the race, time can be gained or lost due to the execution of the relay exchange. However, the only temporal measurement reported in short track speed skating is lap time, of which the relay exchange accounts for less than 30 %. As such, a more appropriate measurement of relay exchange performance might be the time taken to complete the straight where the relay exchange was executed. The aim of this study, therefore, was to validate a method for measuring straight time during elite short track speed skating relays. The proposed method used a single HD camcorder to create virtual timing gates at the start and end of both straights. To validate the method, straight times measured using the single HD camcorder were compared to synchronised cameras located perpendicular to the virtual timing gates. The root mean square error for both near and far straight times was less than the temporal resolution of the camera. In addition, Bland-Altman plots showed that the single HD camcorder method was invariant to race speed. Collectively, these findings suggest that a single HD camcorder does provide a valid method for measuring straight times during elite short track speed skating relays

Hikari Michi: Studying Immersion in Games Using the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion Controller

Game developers are always searching for new, creative ways to immerse players into their games, whether it be through gameplay, input, or output. As aspiring games developers ourselves, we pursued this project with the goal of building a game that made an enriching and engaging experience through its gameplay, input, and output. For this game, we made use of the Leap Motion hand and finger movement capturing device and the Oculus Rift virtual reality head mounted display alongside the C4 Game Engine. Through this project, we hope to provide players with a fun, immersive game play experience and hopefully be a source of inspiration for virtual reality game developers in the future

Exploring movement and enjoyment in VR games

Physical activity and health is declining globally as more and more people adopt increasingly sedentary lifestyles. This decline comes with many health-related risks in people of all ages and demographics. Video games are often seen as a large cause of this, which is why many game developers and companies have attempted to combat this stigma by creating games and systems that provide means of exercise while gaming. These types of games are commonly known as exergames, and Virtual Reality is the newest technology that is attempting to make use of exergaming with immersive and engaging games. Performing physical activity that has a high potential to be effective, engaging, and enjoyable for users, from the comfort of their own homes, is a proposition that VR gaming has the potential to fulfill for many. For this purpose, this research seeks to explore the possibilities of enjoyable physical activity in VR exergames and find answers for which design themes are especially effective for enjoyable movement and long-term engagement. The research was done with a basis on phenomenology and phenomenography, which are both studies heavily based on experiences of specific phenomena. Five different VR games were chosen for testing for the study and analyzed based on the provided movement and activity, as well as enjoyment. This data was measured and gathered via heart rate tracking, and a focus on the experiences of flow in VR. Additionally, an open written interview was performed with a participant with years of previous experience in VR gaming to gather more data for an outside experience view. The results of these experiences and feedback were then analyzed and compared to previous research on the subjects of VR enjoyment and exercise. The conclusions gathered from the research were formed into a list detailing beneficial design themes that help improve enjoyability and engaging movement in VR exergames. The provided list can serve as a helpful tool to both developers and future research on the matter of enjoyability and engaging movement in VR games, from a user experience perspective. Furthermore, Virtual Reality games can be said to positively increase engagement and enjoyability for physical activity when designed well. Future research can expand on this study by widening the scope of participants and including a larger variety of VR games to gather more data on user experiences.Fyysinen liikkuvuus ja hyvinvointi on laskusuunnassa maailmanlaajuisesti, sillä yhä useampi henkilö adoptoi elämäntyylejä, joissa liikkuvuus on vähäistä. Tämä tuo mukanaa monia hyvin-vointiin liittyviä riskejä kaikille ikäluokille. Videopelit nimetään usein yhdeksi isoksi syyksi yleiseen liikkuvuuden vähentymiseen maailmalla. Pelintekijät ja pelifirmat ovat pyrkineet taistelemaan tätä vastaan kehittämällä systeemejä ja pelejä, jotka yhdistävät pelaamisen ja liikku-misen. Tämän tyylisiä pelejä kutsutaan yleisesti nimellä exergames, joka tulee englanninkielen sanoista exercise, eli liikunta, ja game, eli peli. Virtuaalinen todellisuus (VR) on uusin teknologia, joka pyrkii hyödyntämään liikkuvuutta peleissä. Idea kotona suoritettavasta tehokkaasta ja nautinnollisesta fyysisestä liikkunnasta, joka viehättää käyttäjän mukaansa on ehdotus, jonka VR pelaaminen mahdollistaa monelle. Tämä tutkinto pyrkii tätä tarkoitusta varten tutkimaan liikkuvuutta ja nautintoa VR-peleissä, ja löytämään pelimekaniikkoja ja teemoja, jotka mahdollistavat suuremman nautinnon ja tehokkaamman liikkumisen näissä peleissä. Tämän tutkimuksen menetelmänä toimii yhdistelmä fenomenologiaa ja fenomenografiaa, jotka ovat laajalti omiin ja muiden suoriin kokemuksiin perustuvia laadullisia menetelmiä. Tutkimukseen on otettu testattavaksi viisi eri VR-peliä, joita tulen itse pelaamaan ja keräämään tietoa ja kokemuksia niiden nautinnollisuudesta ja liikkuvuudesta. Liikkuvuudesta kerätään tieto sykemittarin avulla, ja nautinnollisuuden kokemuksien perustana toimii laajalti tut-kittu flow-malli, joka mittaa erilaisia tuntemuksia aktiviteeteissä. Tämän lisäksi tutkimuksessa suoritetaan kirjallinen haastattelu ulkopuolisen henkilön kanssa, jolla on vuosien kokemuksia VR-peleistä. Näistä tutkimuksista löydetyt tiedot kerätään ja analysoidaan, sekä verrataan aiempiin tutkimuksiin ja löydöksiin VR liikunnan alalla. Tutkimuksen löydöksistä luotiin lista, jossa luetellaan hyödyllisiä teemoja liikkuvuuden ja nau-tinnollisuuden suhteen VR-peleissä. Pelintekijät ja tutkijat voivat hyödyntää tätä listaa vertausarvollisesti pelinkehityksessä ja muissa VR liikuntaan liittyvissä tutkimuksissa. Nämä teemat antavat erityisesti käyttäjäkokemuksellisesti hyödyllistä tietoa VR-pelien liikkuvuudesta ja nautinnollisuudesta. Tämän lisäksi tässä tutkimuksessa voidaan vahvistaa löydöksiä VR liikunnan yleisestä hyödyllisyydestä nautinnollisen ja houkuttelevan liikunnan edistämisessä. Jatkotutkimuksissa voidaan testata useampia VR-pelejä sekä laajentaa osallistujamäärää ja kerätä laajemmin käyttäjäkokemuksia

Expanding exertion gaming

While exertion games - digital games where the outcome is determined by physical exertion - are of growing interest in HCI, we believe the current health and fitness focus in the research of exertion games limits the opportunities this field has to offer. In order to broaden the agenda on exertion games, we link the existing fields of sports and interactive entertainment (arguing these fields have much to offer) by presenting four of our own designs as case studies. Using our experiences with these designs we highlight three key strategies to guide designers in the creation of richer exertion game experiences: designing a temporal trajectory through games with reference to the way exertion changes over time, designing for the inevitable and not necessarily negative effects of pain in exertion games, and designing for the highly socially situated nature of exertion gaming

Measuring relay exchange kinematics in short-track speed skating using a multi-camera network

To support their targeted improvement of the relay exchange, Great Britain Speed Skating required a tool that could be used to advance knowledge on ‘how to execute the relay exchange effectively’. A tool that measures relay exchange kinematics in representative race scenarios, over its entirety, and with an acceptable level of measurement error (± 0.19 m·s-1). A review of existing measurement solutions found that the Olympic Oval (CAN) multi-camera network was the only tool that came close to meeting this criterion. However, while this multi-camera network satisfied the metrics, scenarios, and scope of relay exchange measurement, its ± 1.53 m·s-1 error exceeded the target measurement error. For these reasons, this thesis developed a multicamera network to measure accurate, two-dimensional, relay exchange kinematics. The literature review identified that the accuracy of the National Ice Centre (GBR) multi-camera network was dependent on five sources of measurement error. Accordingly, a series of investigations quantified how these errors propagated, independently, to errors in relay exchange kinematics. In the case where these errors exceeded the target measurement error, additional studies investigated minimising each error. Using this empirically informed measurement workflow, Monte Carlo simulations showed that the multi-camera network’s total error was ± 0.17 m·s-1. This error was within the target measurement error and significantly less than the benchmark Olympic Oval (CAN) multi-camera network. Investigations into the execution of the relay exchange demonstrated how this reduction in error allowed Great Britain Short-Track Speed Skating to advance knowledge on ‘how to execute the relay exchange effectively’. In turn, supporting the team’s targeted improvement of the relay exchange, and ultimately, their aim of delivering medal-winning performances at the Winter Olympic Games

Expanding exertion gaming

While exertion games - digital games where the outcome is determined by physical exertion - are of growing interest in HCI, we believe the current health and fitness focus in the research of exertion games limits the opportunities this field has to offer. In order to broaden the agenda on exertion games, we link the existing fields of sports and interactive entertainment (arguing these fields have much to offer) by presenting four of our own designs as case studies. Using our experiences with these designs we highlight three key strategies to guide designers in the creation of richer exertion game experiences: designing a temporal trajectory through games with reference to the way exertion changes over time, designing for the inevitable and not necessarily negative effects of pain in exertion games, and designing for the highly socially situated nature of exertion gaming

Head’s Up! Examining the Relationship between Field of View and Head Position in Ice Hockey Players

Ice hockey is a dynamic, fast-paced game where players need to be aware of multiple factors, devoting appropriate attention to varying salient aspects to enhance performance. The term “keep your head up” is ubiquitous encouragement because if players do not, their visual field (what they can see) is compromised, performance (what they can do) decreases, and likelihood of injury increases. Head-down behaviour is problematic and is observed at all skill levels. Head position (HP) behaviour has not been quantified objectively in any sport. Through collaboration with an NHL player development coach, their practice-based knowledge and tacit experience informed the direction of the research objectives. The overall question of this dissertation was “How does head position effect game vision and skill demonstration in ice hockey players?” Objective one utilized a 3-week coaching intervention that incorporated helmet-mounted player point of view (PPOV) video and specialized training drills to provide post-practice feedback regarding HP and vision (n=18). It was hypothesized that these training sessions combined with video feedback would alter head position behaviours (Chapter 2). Results revealed this approach did not refine behaviour. Objective two simultaneously quantified multiple players’ HPs during small ­area games (SAG). The HP were measured in 2-on-2, and 3-on-3 SAGs (commonly used in practice). Players’ HPs (n=25) were measured with accelerometry during each on-ice shift and categorized further into HP during stickhandling or skating during offensive and defensive play (Chapter 3). The range of HP were portrayed as frequency distributions indicating player HP behaviours changed with respect to the number of players involved and the skills exhibited. Objective three quantified how players’ on-ice field of view (FOV) changed as HP decreased from the horizon, both with and without a half visor (Chapter 4). The results illustrated that head down positions severely impact FOV and it becomes dominated by immediate ice area, reducing game visibility regardless of eye movements. This dissertation, the approaches, and the results, suggests how closer collaboration of coach and performance scientist afford better blending of practice-based knowledge derived from experience with evidence-based knowledge derived from research for coaches to enhance team performance

Interactive Food and Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age

Looks at the practices of food and beverage industry marketers in reaching youth via digital videos, cell phones, interactive games and social networking sites. Recommends imposing governmental regulations on marketing to children and adolescents