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Minu
Apr 18
“ Smartymote makes it easy to play big screen games anywhere, right from your phone!”
-Daniel Shiffman-
ABSTRACT.
The focus of this paper looks into the versatile applications of today’s gaming controller. The evolution of the controller has been undergoing many improvements for the gamer. The controller is no longer a simple device with limited functions. The controller has adapted to the point where it can detect the slightest human movement and also acts as a tool to communicate with other users around the world. Based on the notion of the Smartphone game technology, this project provides new and novel ways to increase the social gaming experience.
CORE FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY.
This Smart game controller is designed to provide the player with a more user-friendly, interactive game experience, which engages more human senses when playing. These new approaches will exemplifies how people who have mobile devices are able to communicate with interactive screens in a digital world. Moreover, this interactive concept will give us more possibilities of human-oriented and game-like interactions between mobile devices and interactive screens.
Wireless Networking Design: Android Client and Server Communication
By using Java TCP/IP Socket communication, an Android powered device is able to telecommunicate with an interactive game screen. The connection between a client-side that is the Smartphone game controller and a server-side that is the game screen is based on Wi-Fi.
Use of Sensors: vibration alarm
When they interact and communicate with objects. We use the hand in order to touch and feel objects. In a digital world, a visual image and a vibration from Smart devices play key roles in making the game more human-friendly and the interaction more immediate.
This smart game controller is designed to use a vibration sensor to make more rapid and fun game responses.
A vibration sensor on the game controller and appearing game character on the screen simultaneously allow a game user to respond rapidly in gaming, see figure 11. By using Android Vibrator API, the vibration function on the controller is implemented. While a Smartphone is vibrating, a game character will come into view on the display. By seeing the character, by feeling the vibration, the user will be responded more immediately in gaming.
Dual Game Screens Design
The Smart game controller uses a display to give a user more game information and communicate with a game screen. It will be different from other game controllers that do not have displays. When game graphics appear on a game screen, the display allows a game user to know who or what game characters are. Moreover, the game employs two screens, one on the game controller and the other on the game display.
For instance, a game user can toss a game graphic from the game controller screen to the game screen. As a result, having dual game screens will make using the Smart phone game controller an extraordinary experience.
Detection of Human Gesture with the use of Accelerometer
The Smart phone game controller has gesture recognition and long-distance wireless connectivity. In terms of gesture recognition, the Smart phone has the functionality to represent human movement through an accelerometer or a gyroscope like Wii Remote.
Accessing the accelerometer sensor requires the use of the Android Sensor API. Afterward, the game controller is able to sense both rotational orientation and translational acceleration along three-dimensional axes.
Presently, a smart phone game controller and smart phone application will replace devices like the Will Remote with the same results. In terms of wireless connectivity like Wi-Fi, the Smart game controller has long-distance communications capacity in gaming.
For instance, people who use Smart phone game controllers will be able to play games that are projected on interactive screens at Times Square. The possibility of human gesture recognition and long-distance connectivity from the Smart phone game controller will expand a gamer’s experience to include outdoor and street games.
—-Video_Demo_I,II,III,and IV—
Internet Accessibility & Social Networking
Lastly, the Smart phone game controller is able to provide social networking features by using a GPS sensor, a video camera, and Internet connectivity. Thus, a game user will be able to get geo-location information to be shared with friends and family. The video camera will enable a game player to post photos for friends to see. An additional advantage of the Smart game controller is that we can create a location-based real game in physical space, which will allow the user to experience location-based Social Networking Games.
These are called ‘Pervasive Games’. One example is ‘Geocaching’, a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The Smart game controller will replace these GPS devices with more functionality. Furthermore, this smart device will allow people to have a rich interaction atmosphere with a Smartphone game controller.
www.minu2.com/smartymote/main.php —> Find Smartymote Games.
—-Video_Demo_Social Game Experience—
Video Game Design
This video game that projects on the interactive game screen is aimed at developing a more physically engaged human game interaction and demonstrating a location -based social networking game.
User Senarios
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Mar 08
Abstract.A Physically Compelling game is a powerful way to change the way a person thinks and acts – the same way engaging with a fun user experience is a powerful way to affect a person’s behavior. Moreover, physically Interactive game and design will be more a novel concept in a Smart Society. Due to advances in information and mobile technologies, fun and rich experiences will have been developed at game developments.
Physically interactive video games provide a user with delightful experience like as Nintendo Wii and Kinect for Xbox 360. But there are limited-functionalities, when it comes to talking about connectivity and popularity. A Smart Phone, however, is more widely used in telecommunications and interaction. Moreover, at Smart Society it will be more a powerful interactive device to connect to everywhere such as interaction between a Smart Phone and a Smart TV.
First of all, by taking this benefits of a powerful little computer, in this paper we describe how physically interactive video games with a Smart Phone Controller can provide a user with more pleasing user experience than playing a game on a computer, a Smart Phone, and Tablet PC at Smart Environment. Furthermore, we explore why a Smart Phone remote controller is more influential than existing remote game controllers, when human interact with physically interactive video games. Lastly we describe the future possibility of interactive game with a Smart Phone that can be applied to other fields like as, a game for education, marketing, and social networking.
Jan 12
1. IntroductionIn these days, there is growing demand for effective games for learning for young children. How game can make young children learn mathematics more fun with benefits of new computational media. Our environment dramatically has been changed by rapid development of computational media, such as a Smart Phone, a Tablet PC, and a Smart TV. This computational power will be more influential on our society. The idea is how we can use a Smart Phone and a Smart TV on education. In last decades, our educational environment has been changed slowly. But in a Smart society, “Can we think the new educational method?” What if we use a game and new computational media on education? I think we can more cultivate youngster’s creativity with academic performance. Now is time to change our educational circumstances by using new ideas.
2. Application: Graph Paper GameThis is “Graph Paper Game” that makes learning more fun at a Smart Home and Classroom. Basically, Graph Paper game is a fun game to enjoy. But we were thinking how the game teaches youngsters about six-grade levels geometry. I researched about New York Geometry Math Standards that young children have to learn. Based on this research, the game concept has been developed.
The game is designed to know about the Pythagoras’ Theorem. People can enjoy this casual game that possibly teach about basic geometry for youngster on the computer. Moreover, “Graph Paper Game” is not just a game to learn and enjoy Mathematics for young students. Not playing this game but just displaying “Graph Paper Game”, people can experience and appreciate an artistic casual game. This esthetic and enjoyable graphic interface will make young children get interested in the beauty of mathematics.
More possibility of the game is that people can use a Smartphone at a Smart Home and Classroom as a remote controller to play “Graph Paper Game” through Wi-Fi connection between a computer (a Smart TV) and a Smartphone.
3. The New Interactive Concept: a Smart Phone and a Smart TVHow a Smart Environment can benefit our home, education, and society. Graph Paper Game is designed to communicate between a Smart Phone and a computer (will be a Smart TV). User can interact with a Smart TV at their home or classroom with a Smart Phone remote controller. This interaction concept is going to be advantage to a Smart Society.
Technologically, This project uses a Wi-Fi network and a Socket communication (TCP/IP) between a Smart Phone and a Computer (will be a Smart TV that is also a computer can connect to networks). This technology is a new interactive way to make a Smart Phone connects to everywhere. We can use this technological concept not only on the interaction between a hand-held device and a TV but also a Smart Phone and any computational media.
4. ConclusionIn a Smart Society, a Smart Phone will be more powerful device that can connect to everywhere. Users can use a Smart Phone as a remote controller at a Smart Home environment. The new interactive way with a Smart Phone will change our culture, education, and society. And Game will be new media that can make learning more fun with benefits of Smart Environment.
[google-code]: graph-paper-game
Dec 07
“A Game is Art and Education”: This is “Graph Paper Game” to learn the formula of distance. People not only can enjoy this casual game on the computer but also learn what the Pythagoras’ Theorem to calculate the distance between two-points. But “Graph Paper Game” is not just a game to learn Mathematics for young students. Moreover, I have considered how this game can inspire people to get interested in fields of math and creativity. Also, this project explores about how a casual game can be more aesthetic than functional. Not playing this game but displaying “Graph Paper Game”, people can experience and appreciate an artistic casual game. More possibility of the game is that people can use a Smartphone as a remote controller to play “Graph Paper Game” through Wi-Fi connection between a computer and Smartphone.
[google-code]: graph-paper-game
Oct 19
01. Abstract:
Since motorola released the World’s First Commercial Hand-Held Cellular Phone at 1983 it was called the Motorola DynaTAC phone, people have been doing Social Networking by mobile devices like as calling and sending text. By developing mobile and communication technologies, we are using plenty of Social Networking Services with hand-held devices.
In these day, people are using text, image-sharing and location-based Social networking Services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare, etc. Moreover, after most of mobile devices support geo-location tag service, we are more using the location-based services with smart-phone and tablet-pc.
But I thought our computing environment is going to be more dramatically changed in 2~5years, which means our Social Networking Services will be changed. And then I ask myself “What is the next concept of Social Networking Service going to be”? I have formed a hypothesis that by developing communication technologies, hand-held communication devices get more functions and more big screens. Mainly I’d like to explore about how more big screen and more functions of mobile device have been affected Social Networking Service to be changed.
02. The history of SNS with Mobile & Me :
Before I dive into creating the next concept of Social Networking Service, I need to explore about the history of SNS between Mobile, Media and Human. If truth be told, since 19th century or more older, we have been doing Social Network and Communication with a hand-held device. People do Flag Semaphore for conveying information at a distance by vehicle of visual signal by hand-held flags, for example at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Recently, due to the revolution of communication technology, we have used a lot of different Social Networking Services. Before the first Social Networking Website “Facebook”, the primary means of Social Networking are that calling, sending SMS by a cellular-phone.
After coming out a super little computer it called “SmartPhone” or “iPhone”, social networking patterns are changed and developed. The location-based Social Networking Services are released. People communicate and network not only by calling and sending text, but also checking and sharing locations for Social Networking. It becomes reality due to the more powerful processor, functions, and big size of screen of hand-held devices.
03.More big screen? More desire to watch physical space “the extension of human eyes”:
//big screen human visual/information perception behavior. visual perception & cognitive performance.
// We wanna do Social Networking in a space sharing events.
04. The Space-based SNS: “Interpretation of Space & Networking” :
I would like to travel to make the new concept of Social Networking Service based on the legacy of SNS. “What is the next concept of Social Networking Service going to be?” This is a big question. I think we are going to get more powerful mobile devices with more big screen, for example, tablet PC. In addition, at home, a TV will be wired, too. This means we can do more dynamically communicate with an Internet TV that has a super big screen as a personal size media. Possibly, I guess that people’s Social Networking patterns are also changed and developed.
In the spaces such as a home, a classroom, an office, and so on, There are a lot of time-based events at the space. ex) itp.nyu.edu/rooms We can say the location-based SNS is sharing location with micro-messages. But I thought people may want to share events happened at space with friends for the Social Networking. We can do taking a picture and video, sending text, sharing geo-location and event’s information with more visual information.
My basic concept is that human can do Social Networking by sharing events at a space. I would like to call this is Space-based Social Networking Service. For example, in yesterday, one of my friends at ITP, Tianwei sent email to ITP mailing-list to ask to people, since he forgot to bring his paper from the space he stayed. Some people reply to Tianwei’s mailing thread. I think he found his stuff. Moreover, In Class Room50 at ITP, there are also many time-based events. Different many random people are participated in each event. We can find what kind of people share the same space, and also recollect, reedit the each event from each space. This is kind of basic concept of Space -based Social Networking Service.
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Dec 07
Abstract: “My Tepee” (MiTP) is a set of Musically Interactive Teaching Pyramids, as well as a new-paradigm learning tool, designed to develop human creativity by using the advantages of music and games to show how they can help people of all ages and abilities gain interest in using and expanding imagination.
01. MiTP: Colored Music Game for Everyone:
MiTP is designed for all ages and abilities. This study stresses how MiTP is especially beneficial for both children and handicapped people. When it comes to improving cognitive abilities and creativity in children and handicapped people, music education is indispensable. There are, however, many problems that children and handicapped people face; namely difficulty in gaining access to the full benefits of music learning. In the early stages of learning music, the difficulties in reading music notes are ever-present. Many people become discouraged and lose interest in learning music. Through the use of color-coded music notes, children and handicapped people can easily remember what color represents what music chord. In order to make music, they just need to remember which seven colors are associated with which seven different musical chords.
Figure01. a mentally handicapped person plays the colored music with the current version of “My Tepee”.
When making music with MiTP, it helps to approach it as a colored musical game. By reading color-coded sheet music, people should determine which color to play first and begin the musical score and then add to the composition by choosing subsequent colors in a desired order. If someone wants to make music that consists of C, D, and B chords, they would find the colors that represent these specific chords (red, orange and violet). To play music with the color-coded pyramids, someone simply has to place the desired color on the table in the required order to produce the specific music score. This can be achieved by using one or more individual pyramids, rotating them, and placing the desired color-side down on the screen in a particular sequence to produce the desired chords. More dynamic structures can be made by combining numerous pyramids together and then rolled on the screen to achieve a desired sequence of color and sound. MiTP users can progress through personal skill levels, from beginner to advanced, and build upon creativity through practice and creation of simple or more complex structure designs. In the beginning, people can develop creativity and build upon cognitive abilities by using simple techniques to play music. Later, they can learn to perfect more advanced techniques in order to play more sophisticated music while further improving creative abilities and cognitive development.
Figure02. children enjoys the colored music with the current version of “My Tepee”.
02. Simple Geometric Design: Colorful Pyramids
Games and puzzles are basic learning tools that can help improve creativity. For example, the Rubik’s Cube and LEGO shows that simple geometric design can help people enhance creativity. The rectangle, however, has limitations in its ability to produce different shapes and create more dynamic puzzles. Triangles, on the other hand, can be used to build numerous other shapes and therefore create additional structures. By using pyramids, people can make most any desired three-dimensional structure. Also, each of the pyramid’s surfaces is a different color. The pyramids each represent four different music chords since pyramids have four surfaces. Through the combination of color-coded music notes, people can compose or play music.
Figure03. color-coded pyramids that have four surfaces and colors.
03. Magnetic Pyramids
In addition, each surface is fitted with magnets. This magnetic feature allows the pyramids to be combined to produce various different structures. Theologically, by using magnetic pyramids, people can make most any kind of structure: geometric globes, cubes, snakes, and so on. In order to play music with color-coded sheet music, people can combine and make various dynamic geometric music notes in order to produce music. They can be used as a musical game or as a puzzle to improve human creativity and cognitive abilities. This project’s long-term goal is for MITP to become a new generation Rubik’s Cube and LEGO. By using the advantages that LEGO and Rubik’s Cube offer, MiTP will expand upon the boundaries that limit LEGO and Rubik’s Cube as tools for teaching. It is possible for MiTP to be both a useful learning tool as well as a musical game/puzzle that can promote both imagination and intellectual development in people.
Figure04. color-coded magnetic pyramids.
People can create and build various geometric music chords that can be used to play music. The first step is to analyze original sheet music, then match and clearly label individual music chords with its matching color. The musical score can then be read simply with color, thus making the production of music easier. Techniques and approaches to playing music with color-coded sheet music are unlimited.With various geometric MiTP structures, people can play actual music with color-coded sheet music.
Figure05. examples of dynamic geometric music notes.
04. Technical Solution: Video Color-tracking
Above all, for color tracking to work, the most important factor is to create a smart and consistent lighting environment in a table to allow for proper video color tracking. The process relies on a video camera capturing and reading every pixel on the screen above. The computer then compares background color to seven different colors. If computer recognizes a specific color, the video camera starts to track that particular color. The color-tracking algorithm is that first of all, the video camera finds a triangle shape having fixed size. If the camera detect the triangle, and then computer starts to track color and make a sound.
Figure06. the algorithm for video color tracking and detecting triangle shape.
05. Smart Table to create a consistent lighting environment
For the project, a smart lighting table is required because video cameras are very sensitive to lighting. Moreover, lighting environments can keep changing depending on time of day and source of light. It should also be possible to control the intensity of the light used. Consequently, an LED lighting box is used that can be controlled by a potentiometer to allow control of analog Input and Output. Determining the ideal position for lighting inside of the table is crucial for video tracking to work effectively. In order to achieve this, an acrylic mirror is used for a screen to produce the desired lighting environment. The table is designed to produce a diffused lighting environment. 
Figure07. the map of a smart lighting table.
06. Implementation
MiTP is affordable and effective for people of all ages and abilities. The low cost of MiTP makes this project realistic and indispensable for use both in economically disadvantaged communities and by mentally handicapped individuals. It is designed to help them build creativity and cognitive abilities as well as to help balance social access to music education. MiTP is compatible with any computer system. MiTP uses Processing (Java based Programming language) that is an open source for Windows, Macintosh etc. Moreover, MiTP is going to be developed in C, C++ that are the most widely used computer languages.
07. Conclusions
Development of MiTP is still in its initial stages and the findings are not final. Proper testing of this project has not been conducted at regular schools, in economically disadvantaged communities, or by handicapped individuals. While initial response by people at the 2009 ITP Winter Show was positive, I am going to spend the spring of 2010 further developing a final version of MiTP, which I hope to start testing more fully in public spaces by the end of summer 2010.
Click to view: “the Initial Idea for MiTP”
Click to view: “MiTP: A new paradigm learning tool to improve creativity.pdf”
Nov 06
In the beginning:
As a midterm project in Intro to Physical Computing class, MinWoo, Neil and Yang make a team for a media controller project. In the beginning, we tried to develop my fantasy device idea; making a musical instrument talk and communicate with audiences. On the discussion, but, we listen to other’s opinion. Neil is a sci-fi fan; he really likes a laser sword. Moreover, yang is mad for a game design. Our team wants to mix each other’s great ideas. The Kitchen Game blends ideas from each other’s character.
The Game Scenario:
The Kitchen Game is a collaboration game. This game requires two teams; each team should be three members. Two players have laser pointers one for one person and hit the laser over a photocell light resistor that reacts on light. If the laser strikes a photocell, its photocell would be activated. It gets values and sends them to computer. Whenever a computer gets values, a computer makes a sound. Once a team hit a laser over a photocell light resistor, they would get one-score. The winning score is number ten. Another player’s roll is to control this game. It is called ‘a switch for the kitchen game’. If third player hits a drum that embedded a vibration resistor ‘Piezzo Buzzer’ reacts on vibrations, If the vibration resistor gets over fifty-values by playing a drum, this generates digital signal ‘one’ and then a photocell light resistor would be activated. Which means that a drummer should keep playing a drummer for teammates. Otherwise, a drum player’s teammates cannot get a score, even thought they strike a laser over a photocell. Through the kitchen game, players can poster a group effect.
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The communication between a photocell and a laser:
We use an extra large photocell: PEC-1.0: 1″, 25mm. 0.848″ x 0.997″ x 0.065″ thick. 0.044″ diameter x 0.579L” leads. Basically, the photocell reacts on light. In order to activate the light resistor, we use a laser pointer as light emitter. When laser hit over a photocell resistor, its light sensor would get signals. The signals would be sent to a computer. Afterward, a computer makes a sound and a counter value for counting scores. A player also can block laser that head to a photocell resistor. Once laser strike ten-times, this kitchen game will be over.
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The communication between a Piezo Buzzer and a Photocell:
In this game, we use two-piezo buzzer react on vibrations. The vibration resistor is embedded in a box drum. A vibration resistor communicates with a photocell through a computer. When a drum player hits a drum, the piezo buzzer gets analog-values. If the values are bigger than fifty, the analog value is translated into a digital value == 1. Also, a photocell resistor is programmed. If a photocell get a digital value ==1 from a computer, a photocell would be activated. In a nutshell, a piezo buzzer embedded a drum’s roll is to switch on and off. Only, as a drum player hits a box drum, a player’s teammates can hit laser over a photocell.
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< Still Images: Nov/05/2009/Thursday>
Oct 20
Interactive Triangles Matrix:
From young ages, I certainly gain into triangle shapes. In my high school, trigonometry, a branch of mathematics, was one of favorite classes. Ten-years later after graduation in high school, again, I have been crushed on a triangle. When I went to the library for NYU dental student to study in which nearby my house. I struggled to study computer programming which was a first-experience in my life. While studying programming, I looked at a ceiling and then had an extraordinary experience: a multiple triangle shaped light cover in the library was so beautiful. It was great inspiration to me for creating a midterm project in a class of Introduction to Computational Media. Through those experiences, finally the idea was exposed. My project for Winter Show is that Smart Triangle Musical Device.Each triangle is to react on mouse’s movement. As changing a mouse’s position, the triangle would be changed. A triangle will be re-sized on a mouse roll-over. Other triangles surrounded the first triangle are going to interact with the first reaction. Otherwise they would be expanded as well, others are supposed to be shrink.
Colors: Every triangles are having colors. the colors’ changing is going to be happened by depending on where a mouse’s position is. People can see a change of colors and scale of triangles at the same time by operating mouse’s movement. the red zone follows a mouse cursor. Other colors track the red zone’s changing.
Mesh wire: : Since a mesh wire is connected to triangles, the wire would be interacted with triangle’s movement. When some triangle become bigger, the wire exactly reacts on triangle’s changing. Some meshes would be enlarged, other scale is supposed to be decreased. The mesh has ‘elasticity’ that returns to its original shape, size and condition after the mesh has been stretched. The function also dynamically acts in response of triangles’ change.
