TheThing Growing at Digital Pavilions:: SIGGRAPH 98

The Thing Growing was part of Guerilla VR, EVL's Digital Pavilions project at SIGGRAPH 98.

At SIGGRAPH the Thing was networked between an ImmersaDesk2 and an ImmersaDesk3 (prototype of a plasma-screen idesk). The user on the idesk2 interacted with the Thing directly, while the user on the idesk3 was a voyeur with a menu on her screen with which she could effect the Thing.

	The user at the idesk2 is attached to four trackers, so that her head, two arms and body movements can be seen at the other desk - the tracking information is fed to the avatar displayed on the idesk3.
	The application starts with a rotating cube indicating the title of the piece and that it is "in process". The user has to click on the cube to start - and this pre-app time was used to get the user used to navigating and using the wand buttons.
	When the button is clicked the user arrives on the plain, proceeds to the shed and releases the Thing from the box. The Thing then demands that the user dance with it. It gives feedback to the user depending if she dances well, badly or not at all. The feedback varies from high praise to harsh criticism.
	The user on the I-Desk3 is at a remote location. She is a fly on the wall, secretly monitoring the interaction between the Thing and the avatar of the other user. A menu on this screen gives the following dancing feedback options; well, badly, not dancing. The menu also has mood options; happy, sad, manic, mad.
	The user watches the dancing avatar, clicks the appropriate dance feedback button, and alters the Things moods. The Thing uses this information to pick from its library of 'action + soundbites' and in turn give feedback to the dancer. The application ends when the Thing abruptly decides that the user is not trying to please it and runs off growling.

The piece we showed at SIGGRAPH was a stage in the process of building a Thing with "full" intelligence, capable of tracking and interpreting the user's actions itself. The show acted as a testbed for the Thing and provided information on the audience reaction, what worked and what didn't.

What we learnt:

• I had intended to let a second user manage the idesk3 "menu" interface, but in the end I or another EVLer acted as the fly on the wall. I felt it was more important to try and give the dancer accurate and timely feedback, than to let people get used to using the menu.
• I was not quite prepared for how downcast the Thing could make people, especially with this ending. And although I do want the piece to work at an emotional level, I felt very manipulative as I changed moods and decided if the person was dancing well enough - not sure what I'll do about this yet, but some people didn't want to play because the Thing was too bitchy!
• I need to fix the music - " humming" - it was too repetitious and drove me and all around crazy.
• Ideally I would have directional sound - so that you really feel the character is speaking.
• Something is wrong with my timer device - sometimes the Thing would fly off in a temper before even teaching one dance move!
• Some people did not get the idea that they should dance - when I worked at the idesk2 and the user turned to me and asked what they should do, I referred them back to the Thing, as the "person" they had to deal with. Most of the time this worked. However when I worked at the other end I heard the "helpers" often give directions to the user to dance, to move both arms etc.
• Some helpers would explain about the tracking etc. I simply said that the Thing "knows" whether you are moving or not.
• Dave says the model of the Thing could be better and reminds me of Dan's suggestions that its "head" should have some kind of jaw movement when it talks.
• Also the gradation of color from head to tail could be subtler!
• The dance motions need to be more varied. At SIGGRAPH people seemed either to do each dance move absolutely correctly or very vaguely. Some moves have to be harder so even the good people fail!
• The person giving feedback sometimes told the user they were dancing OK even when they weren't, so as to give encouragement and move the story along - so the full Thing needs to do something similar.
• Although the harness worked well, the management of the tracker wires and wand is also still an issue. Dave suggests that the user should be able to put the wand down while dancing.