Exhibition and Workshop on Future of Media Art and Computer Entertainment in Nepal

The theme of this event is "Entertainment for the Whole World", same to ACE2012 conference, and the aim is to introduce technologies on new media art and computer entertainment,which are especially active in Japan, to young people in Nepal. Making young people in emerging worlds not only a consumer but also a creator of digital entertainment is very important to create a new cultural exchange. We hope that this exhibition becomes a trigger for young people.

Outline of the event

Exhibition list

://r-aw.cc/trafico

Mario de Vega1, Victor Mazon Gardoqui1
1) INDEPENDIENT RESEARCHER/ARTIST

http://r-aw.cc electronic devices are focused on the amplification and materialization of electromagnetic activity and high frequency pollution produced by wireless devices overused in contemporary societies. Between other activities, http://r-aw.cc have designed and produced electronic devices to amplify electromagnetic activity generated by wireless networks, mobile phones, WIFI, Bluetooth data transfer, microwaves, GPS and several other electronic devices. http://r-aw.cc is a research platform based in Berlin & Mexico City exploring topics about molecular irritation, data corruption, propaganda, design, hidden signals amplification and psychoacoustics; an ongoing collaboration between Mario de Vega (MX/D) and Victor Mazon Gardoqui (ES/D) involving the development, design and production of electronic devices, collective actions, pedagogy, documentation and publications in different formats. Tags: non-regulated traffic, high frequency demodulation, microwaves, narrow band spectrum, 2.4GHz, wireless networks, routing, addressing, network packet capture
Link: http://r-aw.cc http://r-aw.cc/snuff/ http://r-aw.cc/trafico

Augmentation of Toothbrush by Modulating Sounds Resulting from Brushing

Taku Hachisu1, Hiroyuki Kajimoto1
1) The University of Electro-Communications

We demonstrate the augmentation of tooth brushing experience by modulating brushing sounds. While enhancing the low-pitched sounds of brushing induces an uncomfortable sensation, enhancing the high-pitched sounds of brushing induces a comfortable sensation.

Chop Chop, a Sound Augmented Kitchen Prototype

Halupka Veronica1, Almahr Ali1, Pan Yupeng1, Cheok Adrian D.1
1) Keio University Graduate School of Media Design

Making a simple task, chopping vegetables, more fun and engaging by augmenting the sound in real-time, using food as the interface.
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Compact Ultrasound Device for Noncontact Interaction

Takayuki Hoshi1
1) Nagoya Institute of Technology

A compact device for noncontact interaction is introduced. It can push objects from a distance by utilizing focused ultrasound. The maximum output force at the focal point is 16 mN. The position of the focal point can be moved quickly and precisely. The device is small, light, and compact so that one can pick it up with one hand and install it at various places. This easy-to-use device would lead to a wide variety of applications.
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Earth Girl: A Game of Awareness and Survival

Isaac Kerlow1, Muhammad Khadafi1, Aisyah Suhaimi1, Harry Zhuang1, Henry Zhuang1, Aida Azlin1
1) Earth Observatory of Singapore

Earth Girl: The Natural Disaster Fighter is a digital game about a girl who can save her family and friends from natural hazards. The scenario and game play are inspired by the challenges faced by communities living in the Asian regions prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and volcano hazards. This paper presents an overview of the design approach, some of the interdisciplinary development process and final results. The Earth Girl game is meant to help players, particularly pre-teens worldwide, to gain a better understanding of natural hazards through imaginative and fun game play. The game offers three levels of side-scrolling action, plus factual information in the form of quizzes to enhance the players' knowledge. The correct answers provide players with extra health and/or super-powers. The game was developed in English and translated to Indonesian, Japanese and Chinese. It runs on any Flash-enabled browser and has been successfully user-tested in Southeast Asia with positive results and feedback.
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Electric Cylinder: An Electro-Tactile Display for Remote Ticklish Communication

Hiroyuki Kajimoto1
1) The University of Electro-Communications

The demonstration introduces two notions. One is "tactile communication" with which people in remote locations can exchange their emotional feeling by touch. The other is "electro-tactile display" which is a compact electrical stimulator that elicits tactile sensation. Combination of these two notions is Electric Cylinder, that is composed of cylindrically shaped 1536 electrodes held by one hand, and can transmit tickle.
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Enhancing tactile imagination through sound and light

Hideyuki ENDO1, Hideki YOSHIOKA1
1) Tokyo University of Technology

Drive Mind is a unique electro-acoustic system, which offers an audience a new sonic experience produced by the refraction of light. The main feature of this system is to visualize abstract figures of sound using a ray of LED light and to manipulate the system using acrylic objects. By this manipulation, the system creates a refraction of light and attendant positional data. This positional data is used to produce sound. The complexity of refraction of the light and the frame rate of the camera cause subtle fluctuations and produce distinctive sounds. The object is to enhance an audience's imagination by enabling them to identify with the performer's action visually, and help understanding of complex digital expression, using not only physical material but also physical phenomena when operating the system. This system helps the audience to become familiar with complex digital expression and experience the new possibilities of sound art.
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HOJI*HOJI The hole-type interactive device for entertainment

Takashi Kimura1, Hiroki Kawaguchi1, Yuta Suzuki1, Yusaku Okada1, Yoichi Takahashi1, Kodai Horita1, Takuya Nojima1, Hideki Koike1
1)University of Electro-Communications

Holes often excite our curiosity and eventually people will want to look inside them. In this research, focusing the attention on this "hole exploration" and corresponding actions as an element of interactive entertainment, we developed a hole-type device named "HOJI*HOJI". HOJI*HOJI is equipped with a hole that can recognize fi nger position through the use of pressure sensors. Force feedback is also implemented within the device for realizing interaction between the 'hole' and the user's finger. For proof of concept, an interactive game application was made for HOJI*HOJI and was exhibited at 2 events to con firm whether this 'hole' can attract people's curiosity.
Movie  Link: https://sites.google.com/a/vogue.is.uec.ac.jp/hoji-hoji/english-home?pli=1

HomeTree – an Art Inspired Mobile Eco-feedback Visualization

Filipe Quintal1, Valentina Nisi1, Nuno Nunes1, Mary Barreto1, Lucas Pereira1

1)Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, University of Madeira

This paper presents HomeTree a prototype of an art-inspired mobile eco- feedback system. The system is implemented on a tablet PC and relies on a non- intrusive energy-monitoring infrastructure to access consumption and power event information. Our prototype addresses an important problem in eco- feedback, which is the fact that users loose interest about their energy consump- tion after a period of several weeks. To accomplish this HomeTree implements a dual visualization strategy. Initially HomeTree presents users with a screensa- ver that shows energy consumption mapped in a dynamic illustration of the lo- cal forest. Through this strategy we leverage the emotional connection between the short-term energy consumption and the long-term effects on nature through the local depicted landscape. In a second mode of operation users can interact with HomeTree directly by checking the historical records of their consumption data, and check which days or weeks they have reduced or increased consump- tion. Furthermore a comparison with a more objective baseline, such as the city of Funchal energy consumption is provided, in order to give users a sense of the level of their consumption in a wider context.
Movie  Link: http://www.m-iti.org/

JECCO: A Creature-Like Tentacle Robot

Haipeng Mi1, Yoichiro Kawaguchi1
1) University of Tokyo

This paper presents a creature-like tentacle robot, JECCO, which is inspired by an imaginary artwork series. JECCO robot has five robotic tentacles and a novel creature-like interaction mechanism. JECCO responds to a user's contact gestures and provides to users a sense of a living creature. The tentacle expression of JECCO robot provides a unique interaction style and impressive experiences.
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Making a toy educative using electronics

Edwin Dertien1, Jelle Dijkstra1, Angelika Mader1, Dennis Reidsma1
1) University of Twente

We present building blocks equipped with electronics for educational purposes. The blocks have changeable colors, a simple LED screen, and a mechanism for decentralized communication between blocks that touch each other. Using these simple elements, we introduced functionality to implicitly support the development of prenumerical skills of preschool children without detracting from the primary value of the toys: building towers and structures of blocks.

Open source haptic interface SPIDAR-mouse

Katsuhito Akahane1, Xiangning Liu1, Masaharu Isshiki1, Lin Liping1, Shoichi Hasegawa1, Makoto Sato1
1) Tokyo Institute of Technology

SPIDAR-mouse is an open source, simple and low-cost 2D haptic interface. All the software and schematics are open and you can build it by yourself. We aim to design it to spread haptic interface and experience of haptic interaction.
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Physical Interaction with Reactive Virtual Creatures

Hironori Mitake1, Shoichi Hasegawa1, Makoto Sato1
1) Tokyo Institute of Technology

Dexterous physical interactions with virtual creatures are important to bring the fun of playing with animals into digital arts and entertainment. For reality of interaction, virtual creatures need to react to highly varied user inputs in a variety of ways according to physical and psychological laws. We propose constructing virtual creatures using a physical simulator, sensor/attention models, and physical motion controllers. The physical simulator and motion controllers generate highly varied physically real reactions, while sensor/attention models provide psychologically feasible target selection for motion controllers. Having constructed a virtual creature prototype, we realize communicative physical interactions such as guessing and attracting attention by touching it via a haptic device.
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POPAPY: Instant Paper Craft Made Up in a Microwave Oven

Kentaro Yasu1, Masahiko Inami1
1) Keio University

This research proposes a postcard that transforms into a paper craft model after being heated by a microwave oven, named "POPAPY". POPAPY is made from a combination of paper, heat shrink sheet, and very thin aluminum sheet. The aluminum sheet can provide heat to the heat shrink sheet effectively, and the heated heat shrink sheet will shrink and the paper will bend then, the paper model will stand. We found that the shape after heating depends on the size of heat shrink tube, aluminum sheet, and the paper because of the shrinkage ratio, weight, stiffness and elasticity of those materials. In this paper, POPAPY, along with an application that allows designing the shape of the paper figure and a simulator of the transformation are implemented. User can make an own original POPAPY easily using the application and the simulator helps to design the bending angle of the figure by the combination of the size of the heat shrink sheet and the aluminum sheet. "POPAPY" can provide a surprise to the receiver as well as amusement of sending a card to the sender.
Movie  Link: http://popapy.com/

STRAVIGATION: a vibrotactile mobile navigation for exploration-like-sightseeing

Hiroki Kawaguchi1, Takuya Nojima1
1) University of Electro-Communications

Navigation by tactile sensation means that the user's eyes and ears do not have to remain focused on a visual and/or auditory display. This is a benefit for tourists because it allows both senses to be used for sightseeing. Currently, tactile navigation systems in mobile phones are developed with the objective of mobility and universality. However, many systems use angular width of +-30 degrees for indicating the destination, and due to this, it is difficult to identify the target location or building for the user. We proposed Stravigation, which is able to indicate destination with +-5degrees accuracy while maintaining usability.
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SUI

Yuki Hashimoto
Osaka University / JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow

Straw-like User Interface is a novel interface system that allows us to virtually experience the sensations of drinking. These sensations are created based on referencing sample data of actual pressure, vibration and sound produced by drinking from an ordinary straw attached to the system. This research of presenting virtual drinking sensations to mouth and lips is the first in the world to have attempted, and also holds high expectations academically. Moreover, due to the high sensitivity of mouth and lips, if used as a sensor, it is possible to develop many unique interfaces and extension of research fields in both interactive arts and entertainment.
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t-words: playing with sounds and creating narratives

Cristina Sylla1, Sergio Goncalves1, Pedro Branco2, Clara Coutinho1
1) engageLab/CIEd - University of Minho
2) engageLab/Depart. of Information Systems - University of Minho

We present t-words an interface for children to playful explore sounds, words and sentences while developing pre-literate skills. The interface consists of rectangular blocks in which children can record and then play the recorded audio. Additionally children can personalize the blocks by drawing on their surface. Children can engage in different literacy related activities such as building rhymes, playing with sounds and words as well as trying out different combinations of sentences while engaging in storytelling. Since the interface targets audio skills it may foster the development of phonological awareness and sensitiveness, helping to promote children's early literacy.
Link: https://sites.google.com/site/hybridlearningmaterials/

Virtual Canoe

Shoichi Hasegawa1, Hironori Mitake1, Makoto Sato1
1) Tokyo Institute of Technology

Virtual Canoe demonstrates a real-time water simulator with a precomputed database of 3D fluid dynamics. The system simulates a real-time wave model with a database for complex and fast-flow areas around objects that creates realistic wakes and force feedback of water resistance.
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