Digitally enriched toy train with a token-based interface
Functional demonstrator of a digitally enriched toy train. The prototype may be seen as an exemplary case for digitized toys, with a tangible user interface based on the use of tokens. It distinguishes itself from other digitized toys by its tangible interaction and its non-digital appearance/form. With this prototype, children can create their own sound compositions by grasping, placing and shifting physical building blocks also called tokens.
Research questions.
- How can the theories of embodied interaction be applied for materializing digital functionalities, opening up the possibility for a more physical and enriched interaction?
Impact.
The prototype is immediately beneficial to the PhD of Marieke Van Camp and, subsequently, to the research group of product development at large too. The gained knowledge contributes to the state of the art on the implications of interaction paradigms for the user experience, and methods for user experience evaluation. Conclusions from user tests, conducted with a first prototype, have been published in Proceedings of the AHFE 2017 International Conference on Affective and Pleasurable Design.
Furthermore, the prototype can be used to stimulate the students of product development to prototype their design solutions using rapid prototyping techniques and electronics. Prototyping in function of a user study is the most accurate way to validate the final design. In addition, a prototype provides a clear and tangible representation of the end result, which is greatly appreciated by the collaborating industrial and research partners. Prototyping should therefore be more clearly included within the product development study and research programme.
Van Camp, M., Van Campenhout, L. D. E, & De Bruyne, G. (2017). Rematerializing the user interface of a digitized toy using tokens : a comparative user study with children aged five to six. Advances in Affective and Pleasurable Design : Proceedings of the AHFE 2017 International Conference on Affective and Pleasurable Design, Los Angeles, USA, 16-24