Interactive environment by narrative playmates toys

Abstract

Narration is an important part of play. Toys inspire children to imagine stories. Adding the power of the computer to toys environment can make playing time more cognitive as well as more entertaining. This paper describes our work in developing physical human-computer interface, which merges ordinary children's playsets with computer that can see via a webcam in order to enhance children's playing technique. The proposed interface with the tracking technology and narrative control can turn a normal child's playset into a fantasyland where children can sense of their world in ways that were not feasible up to date.