I'm in the game: Embodied puppet interface improves avatar control

Ali Mazalek, Sanjay Chandrasekharan, Michael Nitsche, Tim Welsh, Paul Clifton, Andrew Quitmeyer, Firaz Peer, Friedrich Kirschner, Dilip Athreya

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have developed an embodied puppet interface that translates a player's body movements to a virtual character, thus enabling the player to have a fine grained and personalized control of the avatar. To test the efficacy and short-term effects of this control interface, we developed a two-part experiment, where the performance of users controlling an avatar using the puppet interface was compared with users controlling the avatar using two other interfaces (Xbox controller, keyboard). Part 1 examined aiming movement accuracy in a virtual contact game. Part 2 examined changes of mental rotation abilities in users after playing the virtual contact game. Results from Part 1 revealed that the puppet interface group performed significantly better in aiming accuracy and response time, compared to the Xbox and keyboard groups. Data from Part 2 revealed that the puppet group tended to have greater improvement in mental rotation accuracy as well. Overall, these results suggest that the embodied mapping between a player and avatar, provided by the puppet interface, leads to important performance advantages.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 5th International Conference on Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction, TEI'11
Pages129-136
Number of pages8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Event5th International Conference on Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction, TEI'11 - Madeira, Portugal
Duration: Jan 23 2011Jan 26 2011

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 5th International Conference on Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction, TEI'11

Conference

Conference5th International Conference on Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction, TEI'11
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityMadeira
Period1/23/111/26/11

Keywords

  • Body memory
  • Common coding
  • Creativity
  • Embodied interface
  • Puppet
  • Tangible user interface
  • Video game
  • Virtual character

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Information Systems

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