SPIRIT: A STRUCTURE FOR MOBILE HERITAGE STORYTELLING

STRUCTURING LOCATION-AWARE INTERACTIVE NARRATIVES FOR MOBILE AUGMENTED REALITY

ABSTRACT: IN THE ONGOING PROJECT SPIRIT, WE DESIGN ENTERTAINING FORMS OF HERITAGE COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH MOBILE AUGMENTED REALITY. THE SPIRIT CONCEPT IS BASED UPON A STRONG STORYTELLING METAPHOR. BY USING MOBILE DEVICES (SMARTPHONES, TABLETS) AS 'MAGIC EQUIPMENT‘, USERS CAN MEET THE RESTLESS SPIRITS OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS. THE PAPER DESCRIBES THE OVERALL NARRATIVE AND TECHNICAL CONCEPT. IN PARTICULAR, IT EXPLORES THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURES THAT ARE SPECIALIZED FOR THE INTENDED KIND OF EXPERIENCE. FURTHER, WE SHOW OUR FIRST USE SCENARIO AND DEMONSTRATOR.
KEYWORDS: LOCATION-BASED INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING, CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMUNICATION, AUGMENTED REALITY, NARRATIVE METAPHOR, NARRATIVE STRUCTURE.

IN THIS ARTICLE RESEARCHERS SHARE THEIR STRUCTURE FOR 'SPIRIT', A LOCATION AWARE AUGMENTED REALITY MOBILE HERITAGE ON-SITE STORYTELLING PROTOTYPE.
- IN 'SPIRIT' MOBILES ARE FRAMED AS MAGICAL DEVICES, THROUGH WHICH USERS CAN MEET THE VIRTUAL SPIRITS OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS AT A ROMAN FORT.  VIRTUAL CHARACTERS, RATHER THAN OBJECTS ON SITE TELL STORIES.
- MOST HERITAGE TOURS TEND TO BE STRUCTURED AROUND EFFORTS TO LINK PLACES AND OBJECTS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT CONTEXT AWARE DEVICES CAN TRACK LOCATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SUCH AS TIME, NOISE, ORIENTATION, CONCURRENT TASKS OR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS, PLUS THE PROXIMITY OF OBJECTS, OR SITES. AUGMENTED INFORMATION CAN ENHANCE PHYSICAL REMAINS, AND PROVIDE VIEWS INTO THE PAST.
- FOLLOWING ON FROM GEIST (2001) WHICH EXPLORED THE METAPHOR OF MAGICAL DEVICES, BY AUGMENTING OUTDOOR STAGES WITH 3D ANIMATED FIGURES, PLUS REXPLORER (2008), WHICH USED THE DEVICE METAPHOR OF MAGIC WANDS TO CAST SPELLS IN A PERVASIVE GAME FOR TOURISTS, AND VOICES OF OAKLAND (2005), WHICH MADE FICTIONALISED VOICES OF DECEASED INHABITANTS AUDIBLE TO GRAVEYARD VISITORS, THE MOBILE INTERFACE OF 'SPIRIT' IS PART OF THE STORY, FRAMED AS MAGICAL EQUIPMENT THAT USERS NEED TO MASTER IN ORDER TO ENCOUNTER GHOSTS (EXPLAINING AWAY FAULTS AS USER FAULT).  IT ALSO AVOIDS THE PROBLEM OF UNBELIEVABLE AR FLOOR CONTACT, SINCE GHOSTS ARE EXPECTED TO FLOAT IN THIN AIR. 

-- IN RESPONSE TO THE DIFFICULTY CREATING BELIEVABLE AR 3D CHARACTERS THE RESEARCHERS DECIDED TO INCORPORATE VIDEO ANIMATIONS, RATHER THAN CARTOON FIGURES.
- WHEN THE DEVICE INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF A 'SPIRIT' IN THE VICINITY, USERS CAN ACTIVATE HALF TRANSPARENT VIDEO PLAYBACK IN THEIR SCREENFINDER BY WALKING CLOSER TO A TARGET LOCATION. - THE SPIRIT IS INITIALLY STARTED BY HUMAN PRESENCE, BUT THROUGH SMALL TRUST-BUILDING INTERACTIONS THE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPS OVER TIME, AND THE SYSTEM REMEMBERS WHAT WENT BEFORE.
- IT IS EXPECTED THAT USERS CAN INTERACT WITH THE APPLICATION BY CHANGING LOCATION, PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS, TOUCH, VIDEO RECOGNITION AND VOICE INPUT.
- RESEARCHERS SUGGEST THAT MOBILE INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE IS COMPLICATED BY PACE, SINCE MOBILE INTERACTIONS ALSO INVOLVE REAL TIME WALKING AND EXPLORATION. SINCE USERS CAN WALK ANYWHERE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE NARRATIVE SIGNALS WHERE THEY SHOULD AND CAN WALK.
- THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE STORYWORLD, WHICH REFERS to ALL THE NARRATIVE ELEMENTS AVAILABLE ON SITE AND THE USER'S "PLOT", WHICH ARE THOSE ELEMENTS WHICH THEY TRIGGER IN ORDER AS THEY MOVE AROUND.
- USERS CAN BE ASKED TO LOOK FOR GHOSTS AND ALSO APPROACHED BY GHOSTS AS THEY MOVE AROUND.
- CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN USERS AND GHOSTS EVOLVE IN TURNS, RESULTING IN A VIDEO PLAYLIST. EACH SPIRIT TURN INVOLVES A DIALOG ACT SUCH AS 'GREET' 'LEAVE' 'LOCATION' 'CHARACTER' 'INFO' 'QUEST GOAL'. THESE TAGS CAN BE USED WHEN MATCHING APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO USER INPUT. EACH USER TURN INVOLVES A PHYSICAL ACT, INVOLVING EITHER 'FEEDBACK' OR 'IDLE' MODE. EACH ACT NEEDS TO CORRESPOND TO AT LEAST ONE MEDIA ELEMENT (USUALLY A VIDEO FILE).
- THE USER IS MODELLED AS PART OF THE STORYWORLD, WITH VARIABLE STATES CONCERNING LOCATION, INFORMATION PROCESSED AND ACHIEVEMENTS EARNED IN THE MOBILE GAME.

SPIERLING, U. AND KAMPA, A., 2014, NOVEMBER. STRUCTURING LOCATION-AWARE INTERACTIVE NARRATIVES FOR MOBILE AUGMENTED REALITY. IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTERACTIVE DIGITAL STORYTELLING (PP. 196-203). SPRINGER, CHAM.