In-visible maze: Exploring audio and haptic feedback in non-visual digital maze
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Date
2024
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Taiteen ja median maisteriohjelma
Language
en
Pages
93+12
Series
Abstract
Inspired by the heavy reliance on visuals in our daily entertainment, this thesis aims to develop a tangible device to encourage the use of hearing and touch. From previous research, audio and haptic feedback have been shown to enhance the immersion of games, such as haptic wearable devices for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). In addition, they can help visually impaired individuals complete various tasks and enjoy video games. However, when it comes to entertainment, related designs typically require specific hardware to create an immersive experience or solely focus on stimulating one sense. Therefore, this thesis aims to design a maze game that can be played anywhere, incorporating audio and haptic feedback to enable gameplay without relying on sight, enhancing sensory abilities with an interesting approach. The study applied the Research through Design (RtD) approach to develop a tangible maze game called In-visible Maze (IM). By summarizing the promising approaches of previous research and related products, IM was designed with three main features. First, it applies the design frame- work of tangible interaction to provide intuitive operation, allowing players to focus on the sensory feedback. This feature was achieved by tilting the device to navigate through a maze. Secondly, audio and vibration are the primary forms of feedback in the game. To expand on the concept of intuitive interaction, sound effects were used with the panning effect to enhance spatial quality. Additionally, vibration feedback was incorporated with varying intensities. Finally, the game system was digital and programmable, offering adjustable difficulty levels and various paths. To further understand the user experience of playing IM with different sensory feedback, a user study with 15 participants was conducted to evaluate the game experience and performance. To gain a more comprehensive insight, qualitative and quantitative data were collected through operational tasks and questionnaires. The results showed that playing IM without visuals was more enjoyable than playing with visuals alone. Furthermore, playing IM with only audio feedback provided the best gaming experience. In terms of game performance when playing without visual elements, solo vibration feedback was helpful when the maze was not complex, while the combined feedback of audio and vibration was more effective when the maze became complicated. Finally, this thesis illustrates the encountered issues during the study that can be improved in the future and suggests possible directions for further development.Description
Supervisor
Niinimäki, MattiThesis advisor
Niinimäki, MattiKeywords
tangible toy, audio feedback, vibration feedback, non-visual game, maze game, tangible interaction
Other note
Media files notes:
In-visible Maze demo video
Description:
A video demonstrates the basic operation of In-visible maze game, which is the production of this thesis.
Media rights: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0