Design of Experience and Flow in Movement-Based Interaction

Abstract

Movement-based and exertion interfaces assume that their users move. Users have to perform exercises, they have to dance, they have to golf or football, or they want to train particular bodily skills. Many examples of those interfaces exist, sometimes asking for subtle interaction between user and interface and sometimes asking for 'brute force' exertion interaction between user and interface. In these interfaces it is often the case that the interface mediates between players of a game. Obviously, one of the players may be a virtual human. We provide a 'state of the art survey' of such interfaces and in particular look at intelligent exertion interfaces, interfaces that know about their users and even try to anticipate what their users prepare to do. That is, we embed this interface research in ambient intelligence and entertainment computing research, and the interfaces we consider are not only mediating, but they also 'add' intelligence to the game. Other issues that will be discussed are 'flow' and 'engagement' for exertion interfaces. Intelligent exertion interfaces, being able to know and learn about their users, should also be able to provide means to keep their users engaged and in the flow of the game and entertainment experience. Unlike the situation with traditional desktop game research where we can observe lots of research activity trying to define, interpret and evaluate issues such as 'flow' and 'immersion', in movement-based interfaces these concepts need to be reconsidered and new ways of evaluation have to be defined.

Energy Cost and Game Flow of 5 Exer-games in Trained Players

“…The Video Game Training Effect Questionnaire contains questions based on a survey validated on DDR developed by Höysniemi 40 as well as questions about the 8 components of flow validated extensively in the sports and game literature. 13,14,[41][42][43][44] Our questionnaire uses a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree).…”

Immersion in Movement-Based Interaction

“…In entertainment, intelligent interfaces can monitor the user's affective state and adapt the gameplay accordingly. As pointed out in [26], intelligent exertion interfaces should be persuasive, motivating, and rewarding.…”

Integrated Analytic and Linearized Inverse Kinematics for Precise Full Body Interactions

“…There is no need of highly precise full-body mapping in the game space as long as the 'flow' and 'engagement' of the user are maintained. These two concepts are central to the analysis and design of movement-based interactions as extensively reviewed in [NvDR08]. They help to understand that the player can accommodate large discrepancies between their egocentric space and the virtual space of the game.…”