UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Shiva’s Rangoli: Tangible and Interactive Storytelling in Ambient Environments THESIS submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Information and Computer Science by Saumya Gupta Thesis Committee: Assistant Professor Joshua Tanenbaum, Chair Professor Katie Salen Tekinbaş Professor Constance Steinkuehler 2018 © 2018 Saumya Gupta Table of Contents List of Figures................................................................................................................. iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi Abstract of the Thesis .................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 1.1. Overview ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Research Questions .............................................................................................. 6 1.3. Thesis Structure .................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................... 8 2.1. Tangible User Interfaces ........................................................................................ 8 2.2. Tangible Narratives ............................................................................................... 9 2.2.1. Diegetic Objects .......................................................................................... 11 2.2.2. Cultural Tangible Narratives ........................................................................ 13 2.2.3. Story Authoring Platforms ............................................................................ 15 2.2.4. Other Tangible Narratives ............................................................................ 16 2.3. Interactive Environments ..................................................................................... 16 2.4. Affect and Ambiences .......................................................................................... 18 2.5. Agency, Meaning, and Transformation ................................................................ 20 2.6. Narrativized Interfaces ......................................................................................... 23 2.7. Gaps in Literature ................................................................................................ 24 Chapter 3. Design and Implementation .................................................................. 27 3.1. Installation Experience......................................................................................... 27 3.1.1. Rangoli Interface ......................................................................................... 29 3.1.2. Ambience Effects ......................................................................................... 32 3.1.3. Narratives .................................................................................................... 34 3.1.4. Creating Story Endings ................................................................................ 38 3.2. Implementation .................................................................................................... 39 3.2.1. Table Top .................................................................................................... 39 3.2.2. Rangoli Rings .............................................................................................. 41 3.2.3. Hardware ..................................................................................................... 43 3.2.4. Software ...................................................................................................... 43 3.2.5. Tent ............................................................................................................. 43 3.3. Design Process ................................................................................................... 44 3.3.1. Inspiration .................................................................................................... 44 3.3.2. Early Designs .............................................................................................. 46 3.3.3. Early Hardware Prototypes .......................................................................... 47 3.3.4. Pilot Tests .................................................................................................... 48 ii Chapter 4. Methods .................................................................................................. 49 4.1. Research Questions ............................................................................................ 49 4.2. Methods for Study ............................................................................................... 50 Chapter 5. Findings .................................................................................................. 53 5.1. Ambience ............................................................................................................ 53 5.2. Interaction Styles ................................................................................................. 58 5.3. Roles and Diegetic Connections .......................................................................... 67 5.3.1. Roles ........................................................................................................... 67 5.3.2. Diegetic Rangoli and Ambiences ................................................................. 70 5.3.3. Limitations of Connection with Characters ................................................... 73 5.4. Design ................................................................................................................. 74 5.4.1. Novelty Effect .............................................................................................. 74 5.4.2. Understanding the System........................................................................... 76 5.4.3. Mismatches, Misconceptions, Distractions ................................................... 77 5.4.4. Feedback ..................................................................................................... 81 5.4.5. Summary of Learning and Interactions ........................................................ 82 5.5. Cultural Findings.................................................................................................. 83 5.6. Creating Story Endings ........................................................................................ 86 5.7. Summary ............................................................................................................. 88 Chapter 6. Design Implications ............................................................................... 90 6.1. Ambience and Emotional Spaces ........................................................................ 90 6.2. Writing the Narrative ............................................................................................ 92 6.3. Diegetic Interfaces ............................................................................................... 95 6.4. Supporting different types of interactions ............................................................. 98 6.5. Developing Literacy ........................................................................................... 100 Chapter 7. Answering Research Questions ......................................................... 102 Chapter 8. Conclusion and Future Work .............................................................. 110 References ................................................................................................................. 113 Appendix A. The River........................................................................................... 120 Appendix B. The Medicine .................................................................................... 126 Appendix C. Interview Questions ......................................................................... 132 iii List of Figures Figure 2. 1 The Reading Glove (Tanenbaum et. al, 2010, 2011) .............................. 12 Figure 2. 2 Genie Bottles (Mazalek, 2011) ............................................................... 13 Figure 2. 3 Olfactory experience in Sensing History (Chu et. al, 2016) ..................... 14 Figure 2. 4 Offering table by Ranjit Makkuni (Makkuni, 2018) .................................. 15 Figure 2. 5 Ambient environments by Ross and Keyson (2007) ............................... 17 Figure 2. 6 Presentational styles in Scarlet Skellern (Tanenbaum & Tomizu, 2007) . 19 Figure 3. 1 Concept Illustration of Shiva’s Rangoli ................................................... 28 Figure 3. 2 The tent and the space inside the Tent .................................................. 29 Figure 3. 3 Traditional Rangolis ............................................................................... 29 Figure 3. 4 Rangoli Interface .................................................................................... 30 Figure 3. 5 Four sets of Rangoli rings .....................................................................