Abstract
We created an exhibit based on a new locomotion interface for swimming in a virtual reality ocean environment as part of our Swimming Across the Pacific art project. In our exhibit we suspend the swimmer using a hand gliding and leg harness with pulleys and ropes in an 8ft-cubic swimming apparatus. The virtual reality ocean world has sky, sea waves, splashes, ocean floor and an avatar representing the swimmer who wears a tracked head-mounted display so he can watch himself swim. The audience sees the swimmer hanging in the apparatus overlaid on a video projection of his ocean swimming avatar. The avatar mimics the real swimmer’s movements sensed by eight magnetic position trackers attached to the swimmer. Over 500 people tried swimming and thousands watched during two exhibitions. We report our observations of swimmers and audiences engaged in and enjoying the experience leading us to identify design strategies for interactive exhibitions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allison, R.S., Harris, L.R., Jenkin, M., Pintilie, G., Redlick, F., Zikovitz, D.C.: First steps with a rideable computer. In: Proc. 2nd IEEE Conf. on VR, pp. 119–175 (2000)
Borchers, J.: A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design. Wiley & Sons, Chichester (2001)
Bruner, M., Buttner, M., Degen, S., Feldler, S., Freudling, P., Jalsovec, A., Lindinger, C., Ptzelberger, W., Weingrtner, M., Zepetzauer, M.: HumphreyII in Ars Electronica Futurelab (2003), http://www.aec.at/en/center/project.asp?iProjectID=12280 (February 1, 2004)
Buffa, M., Diard, F., Persson, M., Sander, P.: The Virtual Diver, an architectural ‘swim-around’ system incorporating real imagery. In: Workshop Proc. Computer Graphics Technology for the Exploration of the Sea, CES 1995 (1995)
Carraro, G.U., Cortes, M., Edmark, J.T., Ensor, J.: The Peloton bicycling simulator. In: Proc 3rd Symp on VRML, SIGGRAPH, pp. 63–70. ACM Press, New York (1998)
Christensen, R., Hollerbach, J.M., Xu, Y., Meek, S.: Inertial force feedback for the Treadport locomotion interface. In Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 9, 1–4 (2000)
Durlach, N.I., Mavor, A.S. (eds.): Virtual Reality: Scientific and Technological Challenges. National Academy Press, Washington (1994)
Fels, S., Yohanan, S., Takahashi, S., Kinoshita, Y., Funahashi, K., Takama, Y., Chen, G.: Swimming Across the Pacific: A VR Swimming Interface. Computer Graphics and Applications 25(1), 24–31 (2005)
Fels, S.: Designing for Intimacy: Creating New Interfaces for Musical Expression. Proceedings of the IEEE 92(4), 672–685 (2004)
Hollerbach, J.M., Xu, Y., Christensen, R., Jacobsen, S.C.: Design specifications for the second generation SarcosTreadport locomotion interface. Proc. of ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division 69, 1293–1298 (2000)
Iwata, H., Yano, H., Fukushima, H., Noma, H.: CirculaFloor. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 25(1), 64–67 (2005)
Iwata, H.: Walking About Virtual Environments on an Infinite Floor. Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality, 286–298 (1999)
Iwata, H., Yano, H., Nakaizumi, F.: Gait Master: A Versatile Locomotion Interface for Uneven Virtual Terrain. In: Virtual Reality (VR 2001), p. 131 (2001)
Jones, D.: Case studies in navigation and positioning. Underwater Magazine (1999)
Misheff, A.: Swimming Across the Atlantic, Ciesse Piumini, Milano (1982)
Norman, D.: The Psychology of Everyday Things. Basic Books Inc., New York (1988)
Paush, R., Snoddy, J., Taylor, R., Watson, S., Haseltine: Disney’s Aladdin: first steps toward storytelling in virtual reality. In: Proc. of ACM SIGGRAPH 1996, pp. 193–203 (1996)
Pierce, J., Paush, R., Sturgill, C., Christiansen, K.: Designing a Successful HMD-Based Experience. Presence: Teleoperators and VE 8(4), 469–473 (1999)
Puckette, M.: Pure Data: another integrated computer music environment. In: Proc. 2nd Intercollege Comp., Music Concerts, Tachikawa, pp. 37–41 (1996)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing
About this paper
Cite this paper
Fels, S. et al. (2005). User Experiences with a Virtual Swimming Interface Exhibit. In: Kishino, F., Kitamura, Y., Kato, H., Nagata, N. (eds) Entertainment Computing - ICEC 2005. ICEC 2005. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3711. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11558651_42
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11558651_42
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-29034-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-32054-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)