Hi everyone,
Today, I would like to share some information from ACE (Advances in Computer Entertainment) conference which Akita sensei and I participated from 12th November to 15th November, 2013. It was hold in Bad Boekelo, Enschede, the Netherlands. The famous old Bad Boekelo saltwater bath and hotel have made way for a comfortable conference location, situated in the varied landscape of Twente between fairytale forests and picturesque villages. Bad Boekelo is located in the east of the Netherlands, near Enschede and the German border

2013/11/12から15にかけて、オランダのエンスヘーデ(Enschede)という街にあるBad Boekeloというところで開催された、ACE (Advances in Computer Entertainment) conference に、秋田先生といっしょに参加してきました。Bad BoekeloはTwente地区にある古い風光明媚な温泉地で、おとぎ話にでも出てきそうな森の中にあります。Bad Boekeloは、オランダの東のほうのEnschedeの近くで、ドイツとの国境の近くにあります。

Overall, the conference is about Entertainment, so many papers and demonstrations which were submitted in this event related closely to people relaxing, especially children amusement. In the conference, some special events were hold in between two oral presentation sections. I’d love to share those events to you.

この学会は、エンタテインメントに関するもので、遊びや子供のおもちゃなどに関する論文やデモが多数発表されます。今回の学会期間中には、口頭発表セッションの合間に、3つのスペシャルイベントが企画されていましたので、それについて紹介したいと思います。

1.The first one is “Overkill Retro Gaming Room”. Many games were setting up in this room and anyone can play traditional games using play station controllers such as Mario, fighting and other games. More precisely, many monitors were embedded in two walls in this room like the pictures below. While someone were playing, the others were watching. I thought all our lab members will be very exciting about this room caused I saw many of you joyfully played games like those.

1つ目は”Overkill Retro Gaming Room”です。マリオやストリートファイターなどのいろんな（レトロな）ゲームが置いてあって自由に遊べるようになっています。モニタ(CRT)は2面の壁に絵のように埋め込まれていて、誰かがプレイしているときは他の人がそれを見ている、という感じです。ウチの研究室のみなさんもハマるんじゃないかと思います。

2.The second one is “Game Competition”. There were some games introduced in this competition, but I did not really understand the motivation of all those games. However, after talking to presenters, I was really fascinated the game, called Pac-lan2 – the Resurrection, the second prize in this competition.

2つ目は、”Game Competition”です。どんなモチベーションかはわかりませんが、このコンペ向けに開発されたいくつか（たしか5つ）のゲームが展示されていました。発表者の人の話をきいてみて、”Pac-lan2-the Resurrection”というゲームがとても気に入りました。（コンペでは2位でした）

I describe this game in general. Every player has a smartphone (running iOS or Android) with specific application – Pac-lan2. In the application, there is a map with many different check points corresponding to the GPS information in unique geogra-phy. Certainly, the application has a capability to be configured by users because its operations depend on the GPS information. After setting up all the information, players must follow the map to reach check points (it looks like the “treasure hunt” game). At the specific checkpoint, there was a device which has an ability to connect with smartphone and enable the next step in the smartphone for players. They have to find all check points to find the right destination.

このゲームの概要は、各プレーヤは専用アプリ(Pac-lan2)を入れたスマホ(iOS or Android)を持っていて、地図上にいくつかのチェックポイントがあり、プレーヤはGPSを頼りにチェックポイントへ向かいます。チェックポイントにはチェック用の装置があり、そこでチェックすると次のチェックポイントが指示され、そこへ向かいます。そうやって最後のチェックポイントまでいったらゴール。

The game is quite simple, I think. However, the philosophy of the game is very interesting: recently, people tend to spend a lot of time to use smartphones. This may affect our health due to lack of daily activities. Using this game, people not only enjoy using smartphone, but also do some exercises when they involve the game such as running and looking around to find check points.

ゲームはとてもシンプルなのですが、考え方はとても面白いと思いました。最近はスマホを使う時間が長くなってきていて、運動不足になりがちなのですが、このゲームでスマホを使いながら運動もできて、しかも周りの景色にも目を向けることになります。

3. The third sections is the most interesting one: the demonstration event.
In this event, there are 28 demos and 16 posters. I am really sorry that I did not have enough time to see all the demos and posters so I just summarize some of them that I like the most.

3つ目は、一番面白かった、デモセッションです。ここでは28件のデモ展示と16件のポスター発表がありましたが、すべてを見ることはできなかったので、その中から面白いと思ったものを紹介したいと思います。

The authors use the ultraviolet LED to attack the downside of Crocs or any shoes like the picture above with different shapes. When the kids wore those shoes and walked on the white panel, it created the different shapes which depends on the ultra-violet LED.

これは、クロックスなどのクツの裏面に紫外線LEDを埋め込み、紫外線が当たると色が変わるペンキを塗ってある床の上を歩くと模様が足跡のように写るものです。

The authors use Arduino board connect with servo motors and mini load cells combining with an application running in computer. There were two strings in the picture. When player 1 pulls the string in the left, the basket will move to the left to catch the white falling balls and vice versa for the right side.

これは、Arduinoにサーボモータとロードセル（荷重センサ）をつないでPCに接続したもので、画面上に2本の糸が表示されています。2人のプレーヤがそれぞれの糸を引っぱると画面内のカゴが左右に動き、上から降ってくる白いボールをキャッチする、というゲーム。

In this application, the authors created a device can read the music note like above pictures. The left hand side picture, they used the camera to read the picture which was drawn in the paper, based on the camera, the software could also played the music we drew on the paper. The right hand side picture, they used the small device which included sonar receiver and sonar pen. When we used the sonar pen to draw music note on the paper, the application received the information and rendered in the computer. We could use the pen to point any note and the computer would make a sound corresponding to the pointed note.

こちらは、楽譜を読み取るデバイス。最初のほうはカメラで紙の楽譜を読み取り、画像処理で認識して演奏します。もう1つのほうは、超音波受信機と超音波ペンからなるシステムで、超音波ペンで紙の上に音符を描くと超音波受信機でそれを読み取ってそれに対応した音が鳴る、というものです。

This application simulates the water bottle. In the picture, I poured the water from the bottle (certainly no water in the bottle) and inside the bottle with acceleration sensor, speaker and servo motor created sound and vibration as the same when pouring the water. Something like that.

こちらは、水の入ったビンを模擬するシステム。水が入っていないビンから水をそそぐ動作をすると、ビンの中の加速度センサとスピーカ、サーボモータでそれに応じた音や振動が発生して、水を注いでいるような感触を味わえます。

 

This device uses Aduino mega 2560 combined with pressure sensor and RF transceiver chips. When people stepped on it, the random different colors blinked until it created a specific color. I did not know the mechanism how they make a final decision to choose the color. There were many different devices like this one in the picture above. The game rule: people must step on the different devices to make them in same color. This was just the first version game because the authors have been focusing on the infrastructure. It means that they want to create a good device with many support, then they will think about the impressive application.

こちらは、ArduinoMega2560と圧力センサ、無線通信機が入っているデバイス。人が乗ると特定の色（どうやって決めているかはわかりませんでした）に変わります。これと同じものがいくつかあって、これを使って、デバイスの上に乗って同じ色にそろえる、というゲームをします。このデバイスはあくまでもインフラで、いろいろな用途に使えるように汎用的なものをつくった、とのことでした。

 

Akita-sensei and I was staying in the campus of University of Twente, it is beautiful and peaceful campus. I also took some pictures when we walked through the campus in the early morning.

秋田先生と私は、広くてきれいなTwente大学のキャンパスにあるゲストハウスに泊まっていました。こちらは、朝のキャンパスの風景です。

(Nguyen)（翻訳：秋田）