Social playware with an enhanced reach for facilitating group interaction

Abstract

This study proposes a small wireless interface that measures and visualizes group dynamics in order to promote and enhance social interaction. The developed device, Enhanced Reach (ER), can be attached to sportswear or sports equipments, and it is capable of estimating geometric relationships by using the signal strength of the wireless communication between devices. An illumination-based visualization method was developed to influence interaction within the group and encourage social interaction. We evaluated the device by using it to assist communication between children with pervasive developmental disorders. Through experiments, we confirmed the unobtrusive presence of the ER and its ability to promote interaction between the children.