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Microsoft Research selected 7 proposals for the
"Create, Play and Learn" call for proposals. The goal of each project
is to challenge existing assumptions about computing in the social,
cultural and creative context, through a defined research project that
can advance the state of the art.
Award Recipients
Augmented hybrid ecosystems: A place for living digital and natural
inhabitants
Javier Jaén, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain
Augmented Hybrid Ecosystems (AHEs) are environments where both artificial
and natural entities coexist, and are seen as “Ecosystems” because both
types of entities compete, collaborate and engage in different types of
relationships as coexisting inhabitants to achieve their respective goals.
The main purpose of the project is to explore the feasibility of AHEs in
which Laws governing competition and collaboration may be defined, people
are “augmented” and may build collaborative spaces, available services for
the inhabitants of an ecosystem have a 3D embodiment, complex cognitive
tasks like learning are supported, and the social implications of AHEs can
be studied in a controlled environment. The research will be centred on
the definition and support of semantic spaces in AHEs, the design and development
of development environments for AHEs, and the dynamic creation of collaboration
and competition models with machine learning strategies.
A user-centred design of an affective diary
Kristina Höök, SICS Interaction lab, Sweden
The purpose of the project is the creation of a “diary” medium in which
users can express themselves through creating narratives using a range of
memorabilia, such a photographs, videos, sound recordings, SMS/MMS, collected
during the day. The project team will design and implement an experience
prototype on a representation of body memorabilia in such a form that they
can be relived/experienced even if represented in another medium. The project
will investigate also on support for comic book like narrative organisation
of collected materials.
Backseat playground
Oskar Juhlin, Interactive Institute, Sweden
The purpose of backseat playground is to design and implement a game
prototype that enables kids travelling in the back seat of cars to enjoy
a rich gaming experience where narrative episodes and embedded game play
combine with the experience of travelling through the road network. In the
project it will be developed a stand alone prototype for a back seat game,
a framework to implement games of vast roads.
Developing a tablet-based games platform for elders: a socio-technical
approach
Ian Sommerville, University: Lancaster University, United Kingdom
The objective of this proposal is to build a games platform for tablet
computers for use by older adults with little or no experience of computer
use. The aim is to enrich the quality of life of elderly people by using
computer-based systems to help elders cope with the normal consequences
of ageing and to allow them to maintain communications with each others
and with their families. The work therefore has a social computing emphasis
and will provide elders with a range of communication facilities integrated
with the game playing environment.
Music mood wheel: Interfaces for intuitive search for music on mobile
devices
Goffredo Haus, University of Milan, Italy
The objectives of this research project are: to improve the search speed
on mobile devices for listening to music; to make listening to music more
comfortable; to reduce informational overload connected to music search.
The scientific part aims to create reports and data on key issues related
to MAUI interface, music listening behaviours, and to design recommendations
for intuitive interface for music devices.
On_message@home
Mark Perry, Brunel University, United Kingdom
The project will examine communication practices within the home that
are used for informing and coordinating other family members to motivate
the design of prototype interactive displays and interactive device designs
that support technologically augmented messaging. The project also aims
to define new directions and insights into domestic technology design that
will better meet user needs.
Regrets [Cambridge]
Jane Mulfinger, University of Westminster, United Kingdom
This project is investigating about invention of new genres of human
communication. Exploration of new ways of communication that link person-to-place
and place-to-person that allows the creation of wholly new forms of content,
dependent upon the places and persons in question. The project will create
six to ten purpose-built mobile computer stations, publicly located in and
around Cambridge during Christmas time to collect anonymously submitted
regrets from the public to comprise a sociological database of contemporary
remorse. Instant feedback to the individual user based on other contributors’
similar concerns is algorithmically generated and calculated to “share the burden”.
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