konzept

Making The Game – Teil 10: Spiele-Konzeption

Many different factors must be applied in the development of a multimedia, natural learning application. So I decided not to use a typical software-development model. Instead i used the agile process model in the development.   This approach was chosen because compared to the waterfall model, where at the beginning of the development all specifications must be set, it is much more dynamic to changing requirements and add new ideas can during the development process. In addition, the costs and project progress at the beginning of the development is difficult to predict, so the use of an agile and iterative approach that adapts to the current situation has many benefits. […]

Making The Game – Teil 9: Vorteile natürlicher Eingabemöglichkeiten anhand von Praxisbeispielen

As mentioned before applications, designed for natural interaction with the user, differ in many aspects from traditional GUI applications. The advantages, resulting from the intuitive use of NUI-Apps, are not restricted only to the domestic or functional use in offices and conference rooms.   Thus, multi-touch applications are predestined to be used in self-service area. Simple GUI terminal, as they are often used at railway stations, airports, libraries, museums, exhibitions or fairs, could be replaced by multi-touch and multi-user interfaces. Even customers without computer knowledge would quickly learn to operate with the hands and fingers, because it hardly requires any skills to change the objects on the screen. The easy […]

gtts

Die inoffizielle Google Text-To-Speech API

The fact that Googles Translation-Application translate.google.com offers the possibility to readout an inserted text (TTS text to speech), is nothing new. The specialty, however, are the possibilities that arise through this feature.   The data for the audio output is in fact called by a simple HTTP GET (REST) ​​request:   http://translate.google.com/translate_tts?tl=de&q=text     By this request, which provides an MP3 file, can easily realize TTS-applications and works, thanks to the multilingualism of Google’s service, also for many other languages​​. The only drawback to this method is a limitation which allows only a maximum of 100 characters per request.   The main URL parameters in this case, the two for […]

Call me Master of the Universe… or another!

Now it’s official and I can call myself a Master of Science (M. Sc.). After my outstanding performance in my master’s thesis (jepp, 1.0 … what else?) I allow myself to relax a little and do a little holiday. Although standing in my testimony that I would have taken four semesters (the 4th, which begins right now and ends in 5 months …), but only because I had to matriculate for the submission of work, and my master’s colloquium, although the work was written in the last semester. But knowing that I actually needed three semesters instead of the usual 4 makes me proud. 😉 It was also suggested by […]

vergleich

Making The Game – Teil 8: Vergleich von NUI GUI

In the comments of some articles on natural user interfaces you can read that NUIs are just graphical user interfaces without any differences. For a some simple definitions of a GUI, like the one from Wikipedia: “A graphical user interface is a software component that allows the users of a computer to interact with the machine via graphical icons.” this might apply, because visual interfaces are graphic in nature.     As a graphical interface, however, constitutes more than pictorial symbols, a more IT-specific definition is needed: “A Graphical User Interface (GUI) refers to the graphical user interface, which make the use of computer easier …. Graphical User Interfaces are […]

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Making The Game – Teil 7: Interessante Forschungen im Bereich der Multi-Touch-Spiele

Computer games are immersive learning environments. The player has to understand the game the strategies to succeed in it. Although in computer games learning is rather hidden, but the learning effects in conventional games are not to ignore. Computer games promote, depending on the genre, skills like as hand-eye coordination when they require a high degree of skill in controlling the character. Strategy games on the other hand promote the combination of skill and tactical thinking of the player, if he must for example build cities. In addition, other skills, such as lateral thinking, concentration, patience and ambition, trained in many games.   In addition to standard computer games, which […]

cebit

CeBIT 2012 – Recap

I’m a little late with my CeBIT report because I had a lot to do with my thesis and some other projects …simply too much. But better late than never.   As mentioned before, I had the honor to present my master thesis and another project I worked in (Smart Home Control) at the CeBIT in Hanover.   Arrival: As the CeBIT opened its doors on Tuesday, we arrived on Monday afternoon, to set up our exhibits. What surprised me most was the presence of security measures that existed on the site … there were no. Without authentication, we strolled with our computers and other utensils to our hall and […]

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Making The Game – Teil 6: Multi-Touch-Geräte und ihre Leistungsgrenzen

Programs and games nowadays have to run not only on a particular platform. So I have chosen some multi-touch devices on which the application in this project should be playable. However, since not all devices have the same capabilities and limitations we have to take a look at the differences in the performance of the devices, so that the application can run smoothly and error-free in the end. In addition to the performance we mainly take a look in to the multi-touch capabilities as well as other natural ways of interacting with the devices.     MSI Wind Top AE2060 – All in One PC The MSI Wind Top All-in-one […]

Long time no see

Through a lot of tasks since December – CeBIT, lectures, my master’s thesis and other projects – I was not able to post anything as initially promised. However, since I finished my thesis I’ll make up a little more time to describe step by step the development of my program and discuss interesting and important aspects of the development of NUI applications. See you next Week!    

vortrag

Natural User Interface Vortrag am 05.12.2011 in Darmstadt

An diesem Montag ist es soweit und ich trage in Darmstadt einen Vortrag über Natural User Interfaces. Darin berichte ich nicht nur von der Entwicklung von Benutzeroberflächen im allgemeinen, sondern gehe auch in die Programmierung und gebe einige Beispiele auf welche Punkte man bei NUI-Anwendungen, im Gegensatz zu normalen GUI-Anwendungen, achten muss.   Für alle interessierten stelle ich die Vortragsfolien und die vorgestellten Beispiele (Flash) hier zum Download bereit. Vortragsfolien   TouchEvent Beispiel   GestureEvent Beispiel   Gruß, Max