'Interactive Puppet Theater' encourages children to concentrate and engage more with the story through physical action that is the right way of applying technology to the existing medium.

Artists

Jaewook Shin, Younghyun Chung

Description

'Interactive Puppet Theater' is a new type of product for children to participate physically in the story, rather than just watching and listening. We can encourage children to concentrate and engage more with the story through physical action that relates to the story.

Personal Statement

Since my daughter was born I have been spending a lot of time reading children's books, watching children's TV, looking for toys and anything that would suit her. Like other parents I clearly see that things have been changing more for a child's world compared to when I was young. When something changes, it doesn’t mean it’s always getting better. Therefore, I have been looking for something good for children that relates what I am studying.

Background

Nowadays children are spending more and more time with toys using new technology. Advanced media such as computer games are not only attractive for children, but taking over their culture of play. Ordinary puppet theater is basically a passive medium that children can only see and listen to. We are trying to make children get involved with the story by putting physical interaction.

Audience

General audience, anyone looking experience the looks and sounds of the red carpet.

User Scenario

1. Every 4 minutes, a story starts.
2. Two children will be invited to play - one as the North Wind and the other as the Sun.
3. Both players will wear each costume; the Wind and the Sun, and hold its controller.
4. Watch and listen to the story.
5. When it is the Wind's turn to blow wind in the story, the blue light blinks as an indication.
6. The Wind child blows wind into the controller.
7. Repeat the above 5-6 steps according to the story.
8. When it is the Sun's turn to throw sunshine, the yellow light blinks as an indication
9. The Sun child blows warm breath into the controller.
10. Repeat the above 8-9 steps according to the story.
11. Watch and listen to the story.

Implementation

- Two Arduinos for controlling input and output, there are a total of 32 steps in the story.
- Six Servo motors: One for the Sun, one for Wind and four for the status of the traveler.
- An MP3 player for narration and background music.
- A microphone for the Wind controller (Same mechanism as the internal microphone in the Nintendo DS.)
- A thermometer for the Sun controller, which detects warm breath or rubbing.

Conclusion

We believe that active participation in a story is an innovative way to encourage children to concentrate and respond actively within a story. Adults who know the story also enjoyed the puppet theater, because of the physical interaction, as well as enjoying watching their children interact and learn. These are the basic ideas of the ‘Interactive Puppet Theater’. This approach shows the right way of applying technology to the existing medium.

Additional Documents / Links

* Images : ITP Show, Detail Images, Work Process.

* Link: ITP Winter Show 2006

Movie Clip

References

The North Wind and the Sun by Aesop

- http://www.fables.org.uk/tnwats.htm
- http://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/north.html