Click
for a demo.
A rowing simulation was quickly prototyped, and evolved through several generations of classes. While the cinematrix system proved to be rapid enough to allow us to gather the responses to make this work, the combination of collapsing input to a single oar and of making one point in time important diminished the input of the individual user as much, if not more than the cinematrix demos.
However, on the positive side, the class responded well to lurid identifiable characters and graphics.
To recover individual participation, a history of boat speed was maintained. It was hoped that where people did not appreciate the effect their input was having on the global boat speed, they could notice that their lack of participation was damaging by having something with which to compare
Click for a demo.
In the final class demonstration, this system generated an extremely positive response. The opposing teams started chanting in order to focus on a beat. Unfortunately for them, the game attempted to dictate a beat to the audience rather than vice versa, so the longer chant won. So, despite the fact that the audience enjoyed the current varient, a possible enhancement would be to generate a rowing system which tracked the participants beat.