Susanna Berra

Design Challenge

Imagine an exhibition in a public space designed to engage a young target with an educational experience through interactive technology

Result

An interactive game for children between 8 and 10 years old to teach about non-verbal communication with a focus on deaf people and sign language

Personal contribution

Part in the concept idea
Theoretical research
Visual design

See the related paper

Berra, S., Pernencar, C., & Almeida, F. (2020). Silent augmented narratives. Inclusive Communication with Augmented Reality for deaf and hard of hearing. Media & Jornalismo, 20(36), 171-189. https://doi.org/10.14195/2183-5462_36_9

The game consists in an interactive story that takes place in space, where a main character, the astronaut kid Cosmo, leads the children through the story. Since Cosmo‘s communication system is broken, the kids have to communicate through sign language in order to explore the new environment. Cosmo will show the kids the signs they need to do to go on with the story. Two children can explore the surroundings of space at a time: they need to manage missions together and they are only able to be success by working together as a team.
This concept project, in collaboration with IT People Company, was developed as part of a class about Digital Interfaces from MSc Visual Culture of IADE – Faculty of Design, Communication and Technology from European University. The brief was commissioned by Fundação Portuguesa das Comunicações (Communication Museum), based in Lisbon.

1. How does it work

Camera

Record the children’s movement in space

Kinect

Recognize gesture, eye movement, lip pursuing

Beamer

Project on the wall a merging between camera’s data and digital information  (AR)

2. The story

Hi humans, I’m Cosmo! I’m an astronaut on a mission in space!
I’m asking for your help because my spaceship broke while landing on Mars and I need instructions to fix it and get back home…

My communication system with Earth also broke, so you can hear me, but I can only see you!
You will have to give me directions speaking with your hands.
Don’t worry, I’ll show you what to do, just look and my hands and copy the movement!

You can choose a helper for your next mission!
For a dog, do this sign. For a cat, do this sign.

– kinect detecting gesture –

You chose Carlito, the little pup! He will help you finding the missing piece!

developed in: 2 months – April 2019 to June 2019
team: Susanna Berra, Daria Spoegler
tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

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