KALINA DANC E

STUDIO II – PHYSICAL COMPUTING

PROPOSAL
Team Freya

Mon, 29th March

 TAB LE OF C ONTENTS
Introduction 3
Concept 4
Background Material 8
Audience 10
Survey Data 10
Intended Audience 10
Intended Experience and Contexts 10
Constraints 12
Physical Space 12
Safety 12
Noise Pollution 12
Privacy 13
Music Licensing 13
Technical Constraints 13
Relevance to Theme 14
Project Plan 15
Individual Contributions 16
References 18

Studio II – Physical Computing Proposal 2

 Kalina Dance

KALINA DANC E
Team Freya

Freya Harvey 41430459

Sophie Holloway 41755871
Jade Steffensen 41721072
Christopher Dingli 41727672

Studio II proposal
Mon, 29th March

Introduction

This project proposal report provides a description of our project concept Kalina
Dance; background research; a summary of our observations, user research and intended
audience; the project constraints; relevance of the project to the Studio II themes – physical
computing, health and activity and street computing; a project plan and a discussion of our
individual contributions. Through these sections, the report aims to outline our proposed
concept for the Studio II project, as well as exploring how this concept will be actualized and
the limitations which may occur.

Team Freya 3
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Concept
Kalina Dance is an interactive dance floor, based on a tribal jungle theme, taking game
play elements from the 1978 pattern matching game “Simon” and blending it into a “Dance
Dance Revolution” multiplayer environment. Kalina is an Australian Aboriginal word that
means ‘to love’, so this is why we have given our project this name; it is to expose people up
to the love of dance. Two dance stations located in different areas are linked together via a
network interface which transmits dance step information and live video feeds of the active
players to other consoles.

The Kalina Dance Console

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For this concept, two locations at The University of Queensland have been proposed
for its implementation. It is proposed that this concept will be installed at opposite ends of the
great court as they are areas often frequented by students, but are not overly busy.

The Proposed Installation Locations

Up to three players on each console at a time can interact with the dance floor through a 9 by
3 grid (each player has control of a 3 by 3 area) of pressure sensitive tiles which serve as the
input for the game. During the game, depending on which game play mode is selected,
players must match dance patterns which are either defined by an opposing player or pre-
defined within the system. These patterns are represented by floor tiles which illuminate to
display the next tile the player is required to step on. Upon stepping on a tile, the player’s
input is recognized and the tile changes colour as a visual feedback.

Team Freya 5
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Depending on the number of players actively participating in Kalina Dance, players

can choose between two different games:

The first is Multiplayer Head-To-Head, where a player at one console inputs a dance
pattern, and all players at the second console must copy that pattern to the beat specified by
the game. The speed of the beat is determined by the user’s current skill level, with higher
skill levels causing increased speeds, and vice versa. Skill levels for players are initially set to
‘beginner’ when they first step onto the game. If users are already playing, the skill level is set
to an average of the current players on that console. As players input patterns correctly their
skill level rises, and consequently lowers when they make mistakes. When players interact
with the dance console, they are presented with a screen which shows the tiles they are
required to press next, and the tiles they have previously pressed. Information such as the
player’s current skill level and the currently playing song are also displayed on screen. Players
not interacting with the screen are shown a live video stream of the other players attempting
to complete a pattern.

The Player Input Screen

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Live Video Feed of Current Players

The second game play mode is Freestyle, which is available when only one
console is in use. This mode uses stored patterns from both a pre-defined set and a
set of patterns collected at random from multiplayer mode. Like the multiplayer mode,
players must attempt to correctly input all patterns once played to them at the beat
specified by the game to increase their skill level.

The music chosen for the game when installed in public spaces will be freely
accessible under the Creative Commons license, and will be referenced accordingly
when played on Kalina Dance. Through doing this, we are able to legally obtain
music for the game, and can also assist in publicising lesser known artists. Because
this installation will be used mainly in an educational context, however, we are able to
use any legally acquired music. This music will still be referenced accordingly on
screen.

Team Freya 7
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Background Material

As a part of our project research, we have spent time researching other projects which
we would like to extend upon and further. To begin, we first explored the area of physical
computing generally. From here, our search was narrowed down to projects which related
more specifically to our concept, and those which we would like to extend upon and/ or
borrow concepts from. This led to a large number of projects. Some of these will be discussed
below.
Firstly, we found a number of projects which specifically looked at floors and/or
dance floors and differing interactions that could occur between the floor itself and users. As
we narrowed our concept down to a dance style game, the use of interactive dance floors and
the different ways of interacting with them was of particular interest to us. One such project
was ‘Dance Floor Moves’ by Feedtank. Dance Floor Moves is an interactive dance floor
which is projected onto the ground. As passers-by move across the dance floor, the dance
floor is programmed to interact with users. While these interactions can be customized, the
example provided by Feedtank is a dance floor made up of tiny squares. As you walk over
these squares they ‘break away’ and return once you have moved over that section. [1] While
our dance floor will use more of a Dance Dance Revolution style interaction, this project was
of particular interest to us due to the main concept – an interactive floor. This interactive floor
idea is one which we have kept in mind and furthered to turn it into a dancing game.
Furthermore, it should be noted that Feedtank had a second project of interest to us.
Their “Full Body Games” Project takes live video of participants which is converted to
silhouettes which allow them to interact with virtual objects and games. While this project is
not directly related to our core concept, we found numerous elements in the project which
could either be applied to our project, or at least taken into consideration. [2] Firstly, since we
have acknowledged that privacy may be a problem, this real-time conversion of video to
silhouette may be something we could use in our project. This being said, this is done with a
plain white background, something which may detract from our game in a public area and
make it seem less accessible to spectators if the area must be ‘boxed off’. The second element
of interest was the interaction with virtual objects. This style of interaction could be extended
upon in our game maybe used to create interactive menus or to allow the dancers in different
locations to interact with each other.
Another project we looked at was ‘Salsa 1001’. Salsa 1001 is designed to teach Salsa
to users of all abilities. A floor with four coloured squares is placed on the ground, and as the
music plays and dancers step on the squares as directed by a diagram of a foot appearing on
one of the four squares on the screen. If a player steps correctly, a bolded foot appears. The
squares are composed of “conductive foam with sheet metal each side of the foam and a layer
of plexi glass on the top”. [3] The pressure on the square is then detected leading to the
feedback. This idea is one which we are directly building upon. [3] The idea of dance squares
highlighting a pattern which must be copied is a key part of our core concept. Furthermore,
our setup will be similar with a screen projecting game process. While our technology may
not be exactly the same, the ideas for ways to create pressure sensitive dance squares will also
be built upon in our assignment. Consequently, it can be seen that Salsa 1001 has numerous
components which our game extends upon.

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Moreover, our background research cannot be covered without mentioning Dance

Dance Revolution. The popular 3x3 square dancing game has made its way from amusement
arcades such as Timezone to now popular consoles including Wii and Playstation. A study by
West Virginias Games for Health research project was done specifically on Dance Dance
Revolution. The 24 week clinical research project study found that “consistent play of
Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution video game series improved the behaviors, attitudes, and
overall health of children.” [4] It was interesting to note that not only the children’s physical
health improved, but self esteem improved also. A feature of the Dance Dance Revolution
game which was noted to help it work well as a fitness tool was the fact that it entertains
children of varying ages and skills levels. Our project aims to build on not only the research
done by West Virginia University, but also the core concepts of Konami’s Dance Dance
Revolution Game. [5] As our theme relates to physical health, our core concept builds upon
the research into Dance Dance Revolution which found the game can help improve health in a
fun manner. Research into the game itself has also led to some elements being borrowed,
firstly, the competitive nature of the game (where you can play against a partner or yourself).
Secondly, the idea of a 3x3 square for each player has also been extended upon in our game to
create two 9x3 dance floor which will fit three players each. The other idea we have borrowed
is the idea of using this “Dance Floor” to measure player’s actions.
A final area which our concept explores is that of competition. Competition has been
identified in games design theory as an important aspect which can raise enjoyment levels and
provide motivation. As exercise can be seen by many as a dull and painful activity, we
researched how we could make this activity more interesting. One concept which we kept
coming across besides making the exercise fun, was making physical activities competitive.
This idea extends from the work of Roger Caillois who in his book Man, Play and Games
defined four categories of games: Agon, Alea, Mimicry and Ilinx. The category Agon refers
to competitive play in games and is the category in which our project fits. [6] A number of
research papers discuss the benefits of competition, including Costello and Edmonds paper
entitled “Directed and Emergent Play”. [7] This paper also mentions the “universal human
drive towards pattern recognition” [7] which is another concept we have built upon in our
game. Their study looked at a game which led adults to work with patterns and ambiguity
together. This was found to “[enable] one to create a rhythmic relationship between the safe
world of rule-based play and the headier world of improvisational play or, in other words,
between directing the play experience and providing opportunities for play to emerge through
the creative activities of the player.” [7] Our game explores this idea directly, with the option
to match or design dance patterns.

Another paper by Costello and Edmonds which looks at competition is “A Study in Play,
Pleasure and Interaction Design”. [8] Here they define competition as “the pleasure
participants get from trying to achieve a defined goal. This could be a goal that is defined by
them or it might be one that is defined by the work. Completing the goal could involve
working with or against another human participant, a perceived entity within the work, or the
system of the work itself.” [8] Consequently, this idea of competition has been incorporated
into our work with our head-to-head and freestyle game modes (see concept for further
details) providing users with a chance to work against and with other humans, and the system
(in freestyle mode).

One final area of research we looked into was projects which use similar technology. Without
going into too much detail about these projects, they will be briefly mentioned. Firstly,
Usbddr [9] is a firmware driver for the AVR which works with dancing games such
Stepmania and allows adjustable sensitivity. Secondly, Stealth DDR Mat [10] is a schematic

Team Freya 9
Kalina Dance

for a do-it-yourself dance mat. There are many other technology based areas and projects we
have looked into, but as this area is still being activity researched we are yet to decide which
technologies our idea will specifically build upon.

In summary, our game extends upon the ideas and projects of many authors and creators.
These include existing games and ‘learn-to-dance’ projects, interactive floors, research into
dance games and their effects on health, game theories based around competition and
competitive play, and finally, projects based around creating actual dance mats. This research
has led to a collation of ideas and has allowed us to build on the ideas of others as well as
coming up with our own ideas in order to create our own new concept.

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Audience
SURVEY DATA

Despite the fact that our project is a street-computing project, for the purpose of the
presentation in studio we have decided to base the project around a specific location/context.
This will be done as a proof of concept of the project which could be installed in a range of
locations in the future. After consideration of the two suggested locations we were given (UQ
and The Edge Precinct) we did some general observations around the areas. Our attention kept
being drawn to The Great Court Area at UQ. We spent a few hours observing the behavior
that was exhibited in this area at differing times.
 
While The Great Court area was always busy and often filled with young people, there was a
very low level of activity observed. The most common activity exhibited was sitting/ relaxing
in the shade. The majority of Great Court users are alone or in a small group. Furthermore,
when users were more active (playing Frisbee and Football) this was always in a small group,
and no strangers were invited to play or asked if they wanted to join. The only other activity
which took place was walking, and this was to or from class. The surrounding corridors were
also used only as thoroughfares.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

Taking this research into consideration we came up with our intended audience.
Ideally, as our project is intended to encourage physical activity and health ‘on the street’, our
intended audience is ‘everyone’. This being said, as our project will only be implemented in
particular locations, our audience becomes slightly more specific. Consequently, our target
audience is UQ students, staff members and visitors. Our observations revealed that this gives
us a large range of people, generally aged over 17 with numerous nationalities. Therefore, in
terms of our project, this means we need to cater for users of differing ages, nationalities and
technological proficiencies.

INTENDED EXPERIENCE AND CONTEXTS

The aim of our project is to make exercise fun, social and available to all. As the dance
floors will be installed in public locations at no cost to users, this will allow anyone who
wants to get involved to be involved. It is our intention that users will be walking down the
corridors in The Great Court Buildings, in The Great Court itself or hear about the dance
floors by word of mouth and as a result head to this area.

As at present these areas are dull and don’t encourage any physical activity, it is our hope that
initially passers-by will notice the installation and be interested by it. As the installation as
mentioned will be in The Great Court building thoroughfare areas (see earlier illustration),
there are many activities users could be doing at this time. Firstly, they could be walking from
class to class, the library or an office located in these buildings. They could be using the
buildings as a thoroughfare, or heading to visit one of the facilities. Alternatively, they could

Team Freya 11
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just be a UQ visitor exploring the area. At this point, we want them to feel curious and excited
at the chance to have a go.
 
Hopefully this curiosity (and the site of anyone else playing) will be enough to encourage
passers-by to give the game a go. The nature of the game means that users can play just for a
few minutes (i.e., in between classes), or for a longer period of time. It is hoped this
excitement will continue on while playing the game, and perhaps even a little friendly
competition will be inspired (to either beat past performances or beat the opponent/s in
another area). This should lead to users getting into the game and, as a result, increased
activity through dancing which will increase their heart rate much more than just walking
down the corridor would usually.

Consequently, the end experience we want users to leave with is one of fun, having played a
game they enjoyed. Hopefully, they will want to give the machine another go, or perhaps the
raised heart rate may just lead to higher energy levels for the rest of the day therefore
encouraging increased activity. As there is the option for more than one player, another part of
the ideal experience is the added fun/happiness caused by a social game.

After the initial novelty wears off, it is intended that the game mechanics will continue to
encourage play. As there are options for team based competition (in Multiplayer Head-To-
Head) and individual competition as well as increasing difficulty levels, it is expected that like
computer games, the challenge of getting to the next level or competing against others will
lead to continued use.

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Constraints
We have identified a number of constraints and restrictions that we will need to
consider in order to successfully implement our project. These constraints cover areas such as
the physical space and safety, noise pollution, privacy, music licensing and technical
restrictions.

PHYSICAL SPACE

The physical placement of the installation is constrained by factors such as foot traffic
and the amount of space available. Too much foot traffic could potentially lead to our
installations being an obstruction to the general public, however too little will mean that it
will not be getting sufficient exposure. Any physical activity naturally requires adequate space
to be practical and safe; hence we have decided not to use corridors/ hallways or classrooms.
We believe our proposed locations satisfy these constraints and requirements, however if
problems arise, we have many more locations to choose from.

SAFETY

When users are encouraged to jump, spin and dance while concentrating on a game
rather than their environment, physical injuries become a real concern. In order to keep our
game as safe as possible, we plan to have the dance floor large enough to accommodate 3
players simultaneously without the need to dance in the same area as another player. We can
accomplish this by having a small amount of space between each 3x3 set of pressure pads to
space players out. Our dance mats will also be designed to ensure they are not slippery, even
when users have been walking in wet conditions prior to playing. We will also display signs
informing users of what type of foot ware is appropriate to play in (i.e. no high heels). These
measures will hopefully ensure the safety of the users of our installation.

NOISE POLLUTION

A physical computing installation in a public place ideally shouldn’t inconvenience

those who do not wish to interact with it, meaning that the amount of noise pollution our
project is likely to create needs to be considered. Music is perhaps the most important aspect
of our idea and should be easily audible to any users wishing to interact with it. One possible
solution to this constraint is to let players listen with standard head phones or ear phones. As
users will be moving energetically, the cords from these head phones introduce more possible
hazards concerned with safety, which in our opinions outweigh the benefits. We have also
considered wireless head phones, which remove the issues of a cable, but introduce possible
issues surrounding theft, cost and battery capacity/ recharging. We will most likely be using
open speakers for our project for these reasons. We have considered using directional
speakers in our installations to reduce unwanted noise to the public, and will research this
further throughout the project. To ensure noise pollution won’t become an issue, we will still
need to monitor the public’s reactions after installing and adjust the output volume
accordingly.

Team Freya 13
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PRIVACY

As our system intends to record video footage at one location and display it
simultaneously at the other, the privacy of both users and passers-by become a significant
concern. Recording and publicly displaying footage of the passers-by without consent is not
acceptable for any physical/street computing installation, hence we have devised measures to
target only users of the system. We plan to only record footage when a player is directly in
front of the system, which can be detected with an IR motion sensor or from any pressure pad
of the dance floor. Projecting players as simple silhouettes is an effective way to preserve the
anonymity of users and will most likely be incorporated into our system. We believe that
these measures will satisfactorily overcome and issues with the privacy of the users.

MUSIC LICENSING

Normally performing (including playing back) copyrighted music in a public place

requires an APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association Limited) license. However,
this does not apply to us as a “blanket license agreement” put into place in 2005 “...permits
audio and video reproductions, communications and performances for educational purposes
without having to seek permission from individual copyright owners” in a University. [11]
This means that we will not be restricted by music licensing requirements for our proof of
concept which will be installed only within UQ, however, if our system were to be installed in
a public place, we would need to obtain the appropriate license or use music that is not
restricted by copyright.
 

TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS

Although our idea will utilize existing and widely used technologies, certain aspects of
the implementation may prove problematic. Converting video footage into silhouettes of the
players might be difficult to accomplish given the inconsistency of the backdrop for the video
cameras. As some web-cam applications can separate the profile of a human from the
background with relative success, we can look at this to overcome this problem. Ideally we
would have three videos running at each location to record each player, but this introduces
significant cost/ complexity to the system. We may be required to use only one camera and
perhaps reduce the maximum number of players to one for our proof of concept and add to
this later. Although potentially challenging, we do not anticipate that these issues will prevent
us from implementing a working prototype.

Team Freya 15
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Relevance to Theme
PHYSICAL COMPUTING

Physical Computing can be described as interactive physical computer system that

uses hardware and software to sense and respond to the user’s physical interactions rather
than the typical keyboard and mouse display. Using this type of computing enhances/extends
a person ability to use a computer system. Therefore the Dance Floor can be seen as a type of
physical computing as the user interacts with the system using their feet to select the
illuminated pressure sensitive tiles on the dance mat. Furthermore once the system has
recognised the users’ interaction with the tiles and an increase in activity, it responds with not
only visual feedback such a display on screen and the tile changing colour but also an increase
in the difficulty of the level.

STREET COMPUTING

Street computing is wide term that can be seen as a physical computing system
implemented in a public area that anyone walking by can use and interact with. The dance mat
can be seen as a type of street computing as the two dance mats will be implemented in two
different public ‘street areas’ at UQ where any person walking past would be able to use and
interact with the system. Furthermore the Dance Mat specifically doesn’t need to be located at
UQ and can be implemented in any public ‘street area’.

HEALTH

As the main aim of the project is to make exercise fun we believe that the use of
dancing and current music will encourage physical activity in students walking by in what can
be seen as an area which is inappropriate for physical activity. As seen in the Dance Dance
Revolution study [4] the use of the physical video game resulted in improved behaviors and
attitudes, overall health and the improvements in self-esteem. We hope to build upon this
research and as a result we hope to see an increase in physical activity, excitement and
friendly competition which in the long run as shown in the study, may lead to a healthier
lifestyle.

In conclusion, our project relates to the three themes as the project uses physical
interaction with the pressure sensitive tiles from the user, the two Dance Mats will be
implemented in ‘street areas‘ at UQ and the use of a fun activity to get the user to increase
their daily physical activity and lead a healthier lifestyle.

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Project Plan
In order to make sure that we are on time in completing the project we have made a
plan of what we wanted accomplished each week and specified the tasks that need to be
completed and who will be completing them.

In terms of cost, we have assumed that our labour is free (although if this was a non-
university based project an hourly rate would have been accounted for). This being said, we
will need to allocate money down the track for project parts and associated requirements. We
have also taken into consideration the expected work load for studio, and made sure each of
us had the required 24 hours per week of work scheduled.

Please see the next page for our project plan. Please note we have had to condense the
plan to fit properly in the report.

Team Freya 17
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Individual Contributions
CHRIS

The strengths I bring to the project are basic programming knowledge, graphic design
skills and sound engineering. I am also interested in interface design, usability and user
centric design. As such, while I do believe I will need to improve upon my skills, I think these
skills will be useful during our project. While these are my strengths, I do have weaknesses
including the fact that I can be easily distracted and try to avoid tasks that I am not confident
with.

Sophie

There are many strengths that I can bring to this project, such as experience with graphic
design, basic knowledge of coding, problem solving and finally creating a system best suited
to the target audience. Even though I bring numerous strengths to the project, I have some
weaknesses such as not completing tasks on time, going to other commitments rather then
doing project work and finally only having basic knowledge in coding, which I hope will not
effect my contribution to the project. From working on this project I hope to gain some
experience in the area of physical computing and build upon the skills I already have from
studying Multimedia.

Freya 

Upon reflecting on what my contributions could be to our group project, it became apparent
that I have a range of strengths and weaknesses as a team member. Coming from a
multimedia design degree, there are two main areas where I feel I can really help my team.
Firstly, I am quite interested in the HCI side of the project and looking at creating the best
possible user experience. Secondly, I have experience in design and am quite good at coming
up with lots of ideas. I also have an interest in marketing, which may come in handy towards
the end of the project in terms of presenting our project in the best possible light. In past
groups, I have also worked well in a leadership position, as I tend to be very organized and
can keep the project on track.

This being said, I do have a number of weaknesses. Firstly, while my coding skills are ok, I
would not say they are anywhere near perfect and I feel I will need to do a lot of work in this
area. Moreover, I have very little experience with electronics, which I see as a big weakness
in a physical computing project. Hopefully, with the help of my teammates and tutors I can
overcome these weaknesses and contribute well to our project.

JADE

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I have previous experience working with PIC and AVR microcontrollers (including
limited implementation in our studio 1 project) as well as basic electronics knowledge to
bring to the team. I also have general programming skills, having used languages such as
Java, C and ActionScript before. In the context of our chosen project, my programming skills
will most likely be required more so than my electronics experience. I tend to think more
critically rather than creatively, so I will challenge the practicality of ideas and focus more on
the details.

While my logical, critical thinking can provide benefits in a team environment, it also
means I am generally too concerned with restrictions and practicality, preventing me from
effectively generating or working with ideas.

Team Freya 19
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References
[1] Dance Floor Moves. 2010. Feedtank. Source: http://www.Feedtank.com/index.php?
strProject=dance-floor-moves (Accessed 20/03/2010)

[2] Full Body Games. 2010. Feedtank. Source: http://www.Feedtank.com/index.php?

strProject=full-body-games (Accessed 200/3/2010)

[3] Salsa 1001. 2010. Source: http://talipadan.com/salsa.htm (Accessed 18/03/2010)

[4] Duncan, G. 2007. Dance Dance Revolution: Healthy for Kids. Source:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/dance-dance-revolution-healthy-for-kids/ (Accessed
27/03/2010)

[5] Dance Dance Revolution X2. 2010. Konami. Source:

http://www.konami.com/games/ddr/dancedance-revolution-x2.php (Accessed 17/03/10)

[6] Caillois, R. 1962. Man, Play and Games, London:

Thames and Hudson

[7] Costello, B. M. and Edmonds, E. A. 2009. Directed and emergent play. In Proceeding of
the Seventh ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition (Berkeley, California, USA,
October 26 - 30, 2009). C&C '09. ACM, New York, NY, 107-116.

[8] Costello, B. and Edmonds, E. 2007. A study in play, pleasure and interaction design. In
Proceedings of the 2007 Conference on Designing Pleasurable Products and interfaces
(Helsinki, Finland, August 22 - 25, 2007). DPPI '07. ACM, New York, NY, 76-91.

[9] V-USB. 2009. Source: http://vusb.wikidot.com/project:usbddr (Accessed 26/03/10)

[10] Stealth DDR-mat - Intro, idea, schematic. 2008. Source: http://spritesmods.com/?

art=ddrmat (Accessed 26/03/10)

[11] Universities. 2010. APRA and AMCOS. Source: http://www.apra-

amcos.com.au/MusicConsumers/MusicinBusiness/Universities.aspx (Accessed 25/03/2010)

20 <Title>