Information session

Panel on Designing for Disability and Accessibility

Miguel Ilustre — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:18:33 +0000

Panel on Designing for Disability and Accessibility Miguel Ilustre Thu, 03/02/2023 - 10:18

Join us for a virtual panel with three researchers about their work and research in Accessibility in Digital Games and Virtual Reality. The panel will include Triskal deHaven, Dr. Katta Spiel, and Dr. Cayley McArthur. Triskal deHaven will lead the panel with frequently asked questions about Virtual Reality and Accessibility, research studies within higher level education, and some of the gaps in Accessibility that students could pursue. Students are encouraged to ask their own questions about these topics during the event.

This event is part of the “ADE for Game Communities: Enculturing Anti-Racism, Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ADE) in Games Research and Creation” series from the ADE Committee of the Games Institute, University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, and is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

About the Speakers:

Triskal DeHaven: Triskal is a User Experience Researcher who uses Qualitative methods to enable video game developers to create their desired player experiences. He has extensive knowledge on Accessibility in Digital Games and Virtual Reality. When he isn’t working, he loves playing RPGs with friends, hiking with his Doberman, or working out at the gym with his partner.

Dr. Cayley MacArthur: Cayley MacArthur, Ph.D. is a Games Institute member specializing in human-computer interaction (HCI) research, with a focus on inclusive technologies and inclusion in technology. The implications of this work are broad: working on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in HCI requires interrogating the perspectives, assumptions, methods, and artifacts encountered in our approaches to research, design, and the development of new and existing technologies. She has published and presented interactive demos at top venues in her field. Cayley is also actively engaged in the research community and has served on the organizing or program committees of CHI 2022, DIS 2021, CHI 2019, CHI 2018, CHIPLAY 2020, and ISS 2018.

Dr. Katta Spiel: Katta Spiel is an FWF Hertha-Firnberg scholar at the HCI Group of TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), where they work on the intersection of Computer Science, Design and Cultural Studies. Katta researches marginalized perspectives on technologies to inform interaction design and engineering in critical ways so they may account for the diverse realities they operate in. Drawing on methods from (Critical) Participatory Design and Action Research on a background heavily shaped by Queer Theories and Disability Studies, they collaborate with neurodivergent and/or nonbinary peers in conducting explorations of novel potentials for designs, methodological contributions to Human-Computer Interaction and innovative technological artefacts.

Guest Lecture: Prof. Matt Parker, NYU Game Centre

Agata Antkiewicz — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 19:14:41 +0000

Guest Lecture: Prof. Matt Parker, NYU Game Centre Agata Antkiewicz Mon, 11/29/2021 - 14:14

Bio:
Matt Parker is an Associate Professor of the Arts at the NYU Game Center, where he serves as the Area Head for Programming and is the Director of Special Projects. Professor Parker was the founder chair for IndieCade East and Chair for the festival and conference from 2013-2015. He was the lead Curator for the Game For Change conference in 2016 and 2018. In 2018 he co-founded the OpenAir Collective, a global volunteer network that empowers its members to fight climate change by advancing carbon emissions reduction and removal.

Matt is also a game designer and new media artist. His work has been displayed at the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Academy of Music, SIGGRAPH Asia, the NY Hall of Science, Museum of the Moving Image, FILE Games Rio, Sony Wonder Technology Lab, the New Zealand Festival, and many other venues. His game Lucid was a finalist in Android’s Developer Challenge 2 and his project Lumarca won the “Create the Future” prize at the World Maker Faire. He created the game Recurse for the inaugural No Quarter exhibition at the NYU Game Center. Recurse was a finalist for Indiecade 2010 and won the “Play This Now!” award at Come Out and Play 2012. In 2011 Matt was an Eyebeam Resident in 2011 and in 2018 he was selected to participate in the Princeton Atelier. He is currently serving as a Distinguished International Scholar at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ.

Abstract:
As part of multiple exhibitions at the recent COP26 UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, the OpenAir Collective developed Carbon Collector, a multiplayer game that demonstrates the importance of carbon removal as an important tool in an overall climate change solution approach, as outlined in the UN's IPCC report. Developed by Professor Matt Parker and Professor Chris Chung, Carbon Collector encourages players discuss strategies for remaining within our carbon budget to stay under 1.5C. Using their phones as controllers, they vote on the appropriate allocation of resources, then, looking at the game itself on a large screen, they witness the results of their collective decisions.

This informal talk will discuss Professor Parker's journey as an artist and activist, what lead him to co-founding the OpenAir Collective, and why games are an effective way to communicate concepts that are sometimes difficult to grasp through non-interactive media.

Attendees will also get an opportunity to play Carbon Collector and provide input on feedback. Given it's success at COP26, OpenAir would like to modify Carbon Collector from a game meant for a conference atmosphere to a web based experience and would love the audience to join in a free flowing exchange of ideas on what would be helpful for a web-based version of the game.

Online event - please contact games.institute@uwaterloo.ca to request a link to the event.

Building XR Devices to Sense Mind and Body

Agata Antkiewicz — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 16:35:30 +0000

Building XR Devices to Sense Mind and Body Agata Antkiewicz Fri, 11/12/2021 - 11:35

The next generation of head-mounted displays (HMD) proposes the integration of sensors capable of recording human body responses seamlessly. This feature will open endless possibilities to create extended reality (XR) technologies that are more sophisticated in capturing human’s emotions, psychological states and reactions to immersive virtual content. This panel explores how three different companies have been embedding physiological sensors into HMDs for virtual and augmented reality in order to connect mind and body and create more natural interfaces for XR applications. This integrated technology is allowing the creation of applications in the fields of assistive technology, affective and physiological computing and adaptive games for health. This panel will have three key industry players that are creating the new generation of HMDs in XR, integrating sensing technologies such as eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG) and facial electromyography (EMG) as well as developing novel algorithms to deconstruct the physiological information and create more humanized technologies.

This event will be hosted virtually via Zoom.

Moderator: Dr. John Muñoz, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Games Institute and Systems Design Engineering

Registration Link: https://uwaterloo.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5fXSShmfSqWD24M3bNL25w

Event co-hosted with Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Speakers

Charles Nduka
Chief Science Officer (CSO) and co-founder of Emteq Labs.

Charles is a leading facial musculature expert with over 20 years surgical experience, including 10 years as Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon (Queen Victoria Hospital). Charles has an extensive background in research and development including clinical trials, has over 100 scientific publications and is the Medical Advisory Board chair for the charity Facial Palsy UK.

Brian Chae
CEO and co-founder of LooxidLabs.

Brian is a researcher with experience in brain-computer interface and human-machine interfaces. Brian holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea. Brian has extensive experience integrating EEG signals in HCI applications such as teleoperation and virtual reality simulations.

Sarah Pearce
Sarah is the biosignals engineering lead at Cognixion.

She is a systems design engineer with experience in biosignal processing, embedded machine learning, software development, and user experience design for mixed-reality applications. Her work focuses on developing brain-computer interfaces for communication, control, and neurorehabilitation. She uses a mixed-methods approach to solve problems using her skills in systems engineering and user experience design.

Racial Equity Board Games Panel

Marisa Benjamin — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:02:26 +0000

Racial Equity Board Games Panel Marisa Benjamin Mon, 10/05/2020 - 15:02

Race and game studies scholars discuss how board games can inspire conversations that confront racism and educate players about what needs to be done to address systems of white supremacy.

Three University of ��ݮ��Ƶ groups - the Research, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Council, the Games Institute, and the Council for Responsible Innovation and Technology (CRIT) - have partnered to launch UW’s first ever Racial Equity Board Game Showcase, under the guidance of University of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s Office of Research and with consultation from the Equity Office.

To inspire game submissions and begin this very important conversation, REDI Council, the Games Institute, and CRIT are hosting a panel event on October 21, 2020 with games and race studies researchers Drs. Kishonna Gray, Lai-Tze Fan, and Aynur Kadir.