Interactive Media for Cultural Heritage

Recently, the latest edited book I co-authored with colleagues from CYENS – Centre of Excellence and the University of Cyprus was published by Springer Series on Cultural Computing. The book is entitled ‘Interactive Media for Cultural Heritage’ and presents the full range of interactive media technologies and their applications in Digital Cultural Heritage. It offers a forum for interaction and collaboration among the interactive media and cultural heritage research communities.

The aim of this book is to provide a point of reference for the latest advancements in the different fields of interactive media applied in Digital Cultural Heritage research, ranging from visual data acquisition, classification, analysis and synthesis, 3D modelling and reconstruction, to new forms of interactive media presentation, visualization and immersive experience provision via extended reality, collaborative spaces, serious games and digital storytelling.

More information:

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-61018-9

Biotic Gaming

Biotic Games, blend actual biological elements and processes into digital gameplay. Typically featuring living micro-organisms, these games task players with manipulating bacterial behaviour using various stimuli such as electrical fields, chemicals, light, and so forth. These kinds of interactions are then translated into virtual characters and displayed on video gaming displays. Their accessible nature has made biotic games a favoured choice among diverse groups, including biology students, artists, and designers seeking to delve into the playful interactions between humans and the microbial world.

Many players are drawn to biotic games simply because of the novelty they offer. People are simply fascinated by the unusual aesthetics and peculiar appearances, such as those found in microbes. Further still, the fact that these organisms are alive adds another layer of fascination, demonstrating the concept of biophilia and our natural curiosity and attraction toward all living things. Finally, Internet-based biotic gaming would prove useful from a practical point of view. It would allow off-site gaming, whereby players are safely away from potentially harmful biological interactions.

More information:

https://medium.com/@rphlkim/playing-computer-games-with-bacteria-739b57488c66

Haptic Skin Shirt

A haptic t-shirt in the style of Assassin's Creed Mirage makes knife stabs and climbing missions tangible through electric shocks. The haptics experts at OWO are teaming up with Ubisoft to release an officially licensed Assassin's Creed Mirage-style haptic t-shirt. ‘OWO Skin’ will be available in a bundle with the video game.

The haptic OWO Skin shirt uses electrical impulses to simulate, for example, gunshot or knife wounds on your own body that you suffer in a video or VR game. The impulses are transmitted to the skin through a total of ten electrodes. OWO Skin can be used in PC, console and VR games. The standard version of the haptic shirt costs 499 Euros.

More information:

https://mixed-news.com/en/feel-the-action-assassins-creed-mirage-haptic-shirt-makes-gaming-tangible/

Finger Interaction for VR Games

VR software developed at France's Télécom Paris can help game players move their virtual limbs safely by wiggling their fingers. The scientists programmed the FingerMapper software to prevent VR users' hands from colliding with objects and other people in public when using headsets.

FingerMapper runs on Oculus Quest headsets, which track the wearer's limbs with cameras. The software allows the headset to map the movement of a user's index fingers to the corresponding virtual arm.

More information:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2361193-play-vr-games-on-a-bus-by-wiggling-your-fingers-as-if-they-were-arms/