Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

The ability customize a players avatar (their graphical representation) is one of the most popular features of online games and graphical chat environments. Though customizing appearance is a common ability in most games, creating tools for customizing a character’s behaviour is still a difficult problem. We propose a methodology, based on direct manipulation, that allows players to specify the type of behaviour they would like in a given context. This methodology is iterative, with the player performing a number of different customizations in different contexts. Players are also able to continue customizing their character during play, with commands that can have long term and permanent effects.

Programmable vertex processing unit increases flexibility and enables customizations of transformation and lighting in the graphics pipeline. Because most embedded systems such as mobile phones and PDA’s have only the fixed-function pipeline, various special effects essential in development of realistic 3D games are not provided. We designed and implemented a programmable vertex processing unit for mobile devices based on the OpenGL ES 2.0 specification. It can be used as a development platform for 3D mobile games. Also, assembly instruction set and encoding scheme are examples of standard interface to high-level shading languages.

A primary requirement for practical augmented reality systems is a method of accurate and reliable camera tracking. In this paper, we propose a fast and stable camera matchmoving method aimed for real-time augmented reality application. A known marker is used for the fast detection and tracking of feature points. From the feature tracking of one of three different types of markers on a single frame, we estimate the camera position and translation parameters. The entire pose estimation process is linear and initial estimates are not required. As an application of the proposed method, we implemented a video augmentation system that replaces the marker in the image frames with a virtual 3D graphical object during the marker tracking. Experimental results showed that the proposed camera tracking method is robust and fast enough to interactive video-based applications.

This paper describes a novel interaction technique that recognizes a finger flicking gesture for power adjustment input for a sports game, such as golf swing or hitting. Our system measures speed of the finger motion and direction of the gesture by using a high-speed camera and a high frame rate image processing technique. By using this system, users can adjust power and angle intuitively. We developed a 3D golf game using this interaction technique to provide an intuitive golf swing input.

In this paper, we present the Smart Dice Cup, a novel interaction device aimed at gaming applications in smart home environments. The Smart Dice Cup is used in a similar way as a traditional leather dice cup to generate random numbers. Integrated accelerometers relate the shaking of the device to the resulting rolls of the dice. In addition to an autonomous stand-alone mode, where the Smart Dice Cup serves as self-sustained gaming system, the device is also capable of communicating with its surrounding environment serving as an input device for other pervasive gaming applications.

Context-aware and location-based information systems with conventional or AR visualization are a well-proven means for enhancing the experience of a tourist visiting a cultural heritage site. A less explored way for achieving immersion in the spatial environment is provided by location-based games which offer the additional advantage of being entertaining. In this paper we describe a subclass of location-based games, Geogames, which are characterized by a specific spatio-temporal structuring of the game events. We show that the spatio-temporal structuring permits to easily integrate educational content into the course of the game, making Geogames an ideal medium for edutainment. We report on our experiences with using the game GeoTicTacToe for teaching school children. Furthermore, we present a didactical workflow and four example didactical patterns that permit to exploit the edutainment potential of Geogames. The outcome of two empirical case studies indicates that enriching Geogames with educational content does not take the fun out of the game.

This paper presents a tutoring system aimed at teaching how to compile Java into the language of the Java Virtual Machine, and, at the same time, promotes a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of object-oriented programming. The interaction with the systems takes the form of a 3D videogame where the student must compete to provide the right machine instructions, collect resources needed by the instructions and use her knowledge about Java compilation to find the best strategy.

Digital Koguryo is a virtual reality reconstruction of a Koguryo mural tumulus, Anak No. 3, designed to help educate visitors in the cultural background and life style of the ancient Koguryo. The focus of Digital Koguryo was to give users an interactive, entertaining experience and to feel engaged in the activity of finding the life aspects of the Koguryo culture and enjoy the spectacle of historical events. This paper presents the findings and lessons learned from the development and public demonstration of Digital Koguryo in the creation of a virtual heritage.

On-line games are becoming more popular lately as the Internet becomes popular, game platforms become diverse and a ubiquitous game environment is supported. Therefore, distributed game server technology is required to support large numbers of concurrent game users simultaneously. Especially, while game users are playing games, many unpredictable problems can arise, such as a certain server handles more server loads than recommended because many game users crowded into a specific region of a game world. These kinds of situations can lead to whole game server instability. In this paper, global dynamic load balancing model and distributed MMOG(Massive Multiplayer Online Game) server architecture are proposed to apply our load balancing algorithm. Many different experiments were carried out to test for efficiency. Also an example of applying real MMOG application to our research work is shown.

Camera is becoming more common in mobile phones and it is commonly used for exchanging photos between people. The photos could be used for other purposes as well, such as gaming. This paper presents Assassin, a mobile multiplayer game using camera and photos as the main form of player-to-player interaction. The goal in the game is to catch other players in the game without them noticing this. The game is meant to be running in the background of the people’s main activity, such as a working day, and not be played intensively all the time. The game was evaluated with 29 persons in four games organized during the participants’ working days. The results suggest the camera is a very suitable game mechanics for gaming, and the participants in general did not find the game to be a violation of their privacy.