Interactive Toy Characters as Interfaces for Children Erik Strommen

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Interactive Toy Characters as Interfaces for
ChildrenErik Strommen Interactive Toy Group
Microsoft Corp.

• Reviewed By Jason Burke

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Interactive Toy Characters

• Resemble familiar characters from childrens
  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

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Chapter Overview

• Summary of background theory and research
• Case studies
• Future directions
• Conclusions

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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

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Summary of Background Theory and Research (Cont.)

• Why use popular media characters?
• Presumed intimacy establishes a positive
  disposition to the character
• Characters known personality sets up rules for
  interaction
• What research still needs to be done?
• No reliable way to predict childrens actual
  responses to specific character interactions

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Case Studies

• Microsofts 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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
  designs handling of failures in game playing

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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

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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
  characters 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

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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 childs actions

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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

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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

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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 childrens
  competency and expectations about social
  interactions