Reviewed By Jason Burke

1. Interactive Toy Characters as Interfaces for ChildrenErik Strommen – Interactive Toy Group Microsoft Corp. Reviewed By Jason Burke

2. Interactive Toy Characters • Resemble familiar characters from children’s media • Use social mimicry as an interface strategy • Designed to build on children's social expectations in order to: • Improve usability of technology • Promote learning and development Jason Burke

3. Chapter Overview • Summary of background theory and research • Case studies • Future directions • Conclusions Jason Burke

4. Summary of Background Theory and Research • Why move technology interactions closer to human interactions? • Goal: relieve task demand burdens on the user by making use of the social understandings which users already possess • Children develop social skills much more quickly than speech and motor abilities • Why use physical characters? • Size and presence • Use of non-verbal input with spoken or visual output plays to the strengths of children Jason Burke

5. Summary of Background Theory and Research (Cont.) • Why use popular media characters? • Presumed intimacy establishes a positive disposition to the character • Character’s known personality sets up rules for interaction • What research still needs to be done? • No reliable way to predict children’s actual responses to specific character interactions Jason Burke

6. Case Studies • Microsoft’s Actimates group • Three products • Actimates Teletubbies • Actimates Barney • Actimates Arthur and D.W. • Each product developed over 12-14 months using at least 12 supporting research studies Jason Burke

7. Actimates Teletubbies • Character description: peer character, limited speech, use music and sound effects • User profile: ages 1-4, limited speech and cognitive capabilities • Input: five sensors (hands, feet, and tummy) • Output: speech (1-2 word phrases), non-verbal music, visual display on tummy Jason Burke

8. Actimates Teletubbies (Cont.) • Functions: musical animations and games • Design considerations • All hands and feet perform same function to accommodate low user cognitive skills • Fit the input method to the level of user expertise and frequency of use • Lessons learned through research • Tummy sensor not part of original design Jason Burke

9. Actimates Barney • Character Description: gentle authority character, speech focused, singing and movement important • User Profile: ages 2-5, limited speech and cognitive capabilities • Input: five sensors (hands, feet, and eyes) • Output: speech (brief phrases), verbal music, arm and head movement Jason Burke

10. Actimates Barney (Cont.) • Functions: songs, games, and peek-a-boo • Design considerations • Use short phrases to not overwork users’ sequential memory • Use direct questions -- more response-provoking than open questions • Hands and feet perform different functions, however, no concept of left or right due to lack of visual feedback Jason Burke

11. Actimates Barney (Cont.) • Lessons learned through research • Children were able to quickly learn the sensor/function relationships • Use of movement can be important to some functions (singing) but disruptive to others (games) Jason Burke

12. Actimates Arthur and D.W. • Character Description: peer character, speech focused • User Profile: ages 4-7, higher speech and cognitive capabilities, higher cooperative skills • Input: seven sensors (hands, feet, ears, and wrist watch) • Output: speech (brief phrases) Jason Burke

13. Actimates Arthur and D.W. (Cont.) • Functions: hear character thoughts, play games, and tell time • Design considerations • Games and speech need to address the capabilities of the older audience • Sensors can have more context-based control (as opposed to simply progressing content) • Still no concept of left or right • Lessons learned through research • Children did not react well to the original design’s handling of failures in game playing Jason Burke

14. Interacting With Media • Characters can also be used for sharing and enhancing media experiences • All characters can communicate with media sources via RF technology • All characters can use TV media • Barney, Arthur, and D.W. can use PCs Jason Burke

15. Interacting With Television • Enabled through special broadcasts and videos • Research has shown that TV learning can be enhanced when accompanied by questions and comments from adults and peers • Co-viewing interactions are scripted based upon the program content and the interactive character’s target audience • Lessons learned through research • Use different responses for sensor activation when sharing a TV experience than when the character is in freestanding mode Jason Burke

16. Interacting With the PC • Enabled through software or certain web sites • Child inputs affect program content and character behavior • On-screen characters provide direction for computer control • Physical character provides guidance or hints to aid the child’s actions Jason Burke

17. Interacting With the PC (Cont.) • Lessons learned through research • Integrating mouse/character interface control is difficult • Children expect the characters’ sensor/function relationships to be the same as when in freestanding mode Jason Burke

18. The Future • A more personalized character • Better knowledge of the child • Memory of previous interactions • Dynamic interaction • Learn new games and phrases based upon the way that the character is used Jason Burke

19. Conclusion • Using physical characters as interfaces allows children to use technology by capitalizing on their relatively developed social skills • Designing such characters for children should make use of careful testing and evaluation due to the limited understanding of children’s competency and expectations about social interactions Jason Burke