Prototype development paperAudition, the Game: Assessing the possibilities of speech as a non-trivial gameplay element in video games, Lavender, T. J., (2011)
Contact Terry Lavender: tjl.sfu@gmail.com
Link to the article: www.terrylavender.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lavender_finalprojectIAT881.pdf
Speech as a motor-free way of driving video games is not common yet, but Terry Lavender at Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology has developed a prototype game that uses speech to change the outcome of a game. The game requires the player to say a certain speech in a given amount of time in order to advance the game.
Players in this prototype game are also hooked up to sensors which make a physiological measure of galvanic skin response (GSR) or hand sweatiness. This is a common way to detect stress or emotion, and may also be a way to indirectly measure speech difficulty. Currently, there is little evidence of the link between speech difficulty and stress. As a possible connection is explored, there could be opportunity to develop therapeutic applications. Physiological measures like GSR, heart rate or temperature are expected to be available in commercial hand held game controllers in the future as effective ways to mediate game play.
Further in the future, speech-mediated qualities like verbal memory and vocal clarity could be more direct game controllers and make motor-free game play a realistic avenue for participation of children with motor difficulties or a way to engage children in speech rehabilitation.
Speech as a motor-free way of driving video games is not common yet, but Terry Lavender at Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology has developed a prototype game that uses speech to change the outcome of a game. The game requires the player to say a certain speech in a given amount of time in order to advance the game.
Players in this prototype game are also hooked up to sensors which make a physiological measure of galvanic skin response (GSR) or hand sweatiness. This is a common way to detect stress or emotion, and may also be a way to indirectly measure speech difficulty. Currently, there is little evidence of the link between speech difficulty and stress. As a possible connection is explored, there could be opportunity to develop therapeutic applications. Physiological measures like GSR, heart rate or temperature are expected to be available in commercial hand held game controllers in the future as effective ways to mediate game play.
Further in the future, speech-mediated qualities like verbal memory and vocal clarity could be more direct game controllers and make motor-free game play a realistic avenue for participation of children with motor difficulties or a way to engage children in speech rehabilitation.