Pocket Skate: Prototype of a Mobile Projection-Based Game

Abstract

Exergaming is the activity in which this kind of videogame relies on the technology from the
body’s movement or reaction. However, some commercial devices that provides these
engaging activities, such as XBOX Kinect and Nintendo Wii Fit, are quite expensive and
considered luxury for many. What we propose here that is by using a typical mobile phone as
the censor/controller and combined it with a display device such as a smart TV or a laptop.
By using accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer on a typical mobile phone we can
build a prototype of a game that attached on players’ body and have it mirrored on a Smart
TV.
The researcher was able to construct a proof of concept prototype of the app. First, the user
will control a skateboard on smart TV or other wireless projection where it will receive
mirror feeds from the smartphone. The smartphone itself was placed on the player hips or
inside his or her pocket. To control the skateboard, user must make a small jump to make it
jump or face side to side to make the skateboard change direction to avoid obstacles. While
the app is still a prototype, yet it was able to show how a game can use a projected-based
interface and mixed it the use of gyroscope and accelerometer censors. Future
recommendation would be integrating it with calories counters for it to be fully
“exergaming”.