Simon Fraser University

Socio-Ec(h)o: Ambient Intelligence and Gameplay

The socio-ec(h)o project presents preliminary research into an ambient intelligent system that combines sensing and display, user modeling, and interaction models built on game structures.

• The prototype is an early-stage ambient intelligent game for teams of four players progressing through seven levels, and it has not yet undergone formal evaluation, so its claims rest on participatory design workshops and theoretical framing rather than measured outcomes.
• The system uses a twelve-camera motion capture setup, a rule-based reasoning engine that interprets group behavior and manages narrative flow, and audio and lighting display engines communicating over UDP at a 200 ms sampling interval.
• Each level requires a specific combination of body states and an implicit environmental goal, with a generic skill carried forward to later levels, and players are guided by word puzzles and real-time gradient audio and lighting feedback indicating proximity to the goal.