Universität Hamburg

Playful Interactions Reimagined: Technological Innovations for Inclusive and Connective Play

Playful Interactions Reimagined: Technological Innovations for Sebastian Cmentowski Sukran Karaosmanoglu Giulia Cosentino Industrial Design Human-Computer Interaction Department of Computer Science Eindhoven University of Technology Universität Hamburg Norwegian University of Science and Eindhoven, Netherlands Hamburg, Germany…

• Current digital gaming and immersive technologies face significant systemic challenges, including user toxicity, sedentary lifestyles, social isolation, and the reinforcement of confirmation bias through generative AI.
• Technological advancements like Extended Reality (XR) and agentic AI offer new opportunities for personalization and education, but they simultaneously risk creating 'fake' bubbles and limiting direct human-to-human interaction.
• Digital media often fails to be inherently inclusive, as existing designs frequently lack accessibility for users with diverging needs, such as those requiring tailored interaction methods for physical disabilities.