Airhockey Over a Distance – A Networked Physical Game

to Support Social Interactions

Florian ‘Floyd’ Mueller Luke Cole Shannon O’Brien Wouter Walmink
Connecting People Group
CSIRO – Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
ICT Centre
Canberra, ACT 2601
Australia
{floyd.mueller, luke.cole, shannon.obrien, wouter.walmink}@csiro.au

ABSTRACT
In modern society, people increasingly lack social interaction,
even though it is beneficial to professional and personal life.
Airhockey Over a Distance aims to work against this trend by
recreating the social experience and rapport facilitated by
physical, casual game play in a distributed environment. We
networked two airhockey tables and augmented them with a
videoconference. Concealed mechanics on each table allow for a
physical puck to be shot back and forth between the two
locations, creating a perceived physical shared space between the
participants. The hitting of a fast-moving, tangible puck between
the two players creates a compelling social game experience
which can support social interactions and contribute to an
increased connectedness between people who are physically
apart.

Categories and Subject Descriptors

H5.2. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): User
Interfaces.

Figure 1. Airhockey over a Distance.

General Terms
Design, Human Factors.
We are losing our sense of “connectedness” although it is “a
potentially key concept in the […] development of
Keywords communication technology” [2]. This trend also has a direct
Air hockey, connectedness, social interaction, tangible interface, impact on businesses: the relationship of social interactions in
physical interface, exertion interface, videoconference, computer- work environments and commercial success has been described
mediated communication by [3].
We are interested in enabling social interactions between friends
1. INTRODUCTION and co-workers separated by distance. Our initial investigations
Social interaction is an essential human need. Our interactions
on social interactions took us to social spaces such as pubs and
with others are crucial for a fulfilling work and social life, and
community clubs where casual games including airhockey, pool,
add meaning to our existence [1]. However, currently people are
table-tennis, table football and darts are played. Games have
often faced with the challenge of having to live and work apart
always been valued “as social experiences, as a way for people to
from family, friends and colleagues. Today’s lifestyle with its
relate to each other […]” [4]. In particular, these games can be
associated physical distribution of personal contacts and work
enjoyed by novices and experts alike, making them suitable as
arrangements decreases the chances of engaging in social
“ice-breakers”.
interactions with friends and colleagues [1].

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for 2. FUN AND GAMES
personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are There has been a growing interest in the research community on
not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that the role of fun in human-computer interaction [1], and researchers
copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy in this field suggest that leisure activities, based around the
otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, concept of social engagement, could build suitable environments
requires prior specific permission and/or a fee.
to create bonds between people that have to work in a team. Some
ACE 06, June 14-16, 2006, Hollywood, California, USA.
Copyright 2006 ACM 1-59593-380-8 /06/0006…$5.00.
surveys have even found that a majority of employees believe that players respond if they could in fact “pass” a ball through the
laughing on the job makes them more productive [1] [7]. network back and forth between each other?
Games are not only fun, but can be played by people even if they Another airhockey game is AR2: Two players wear head-mounted
do not speak the same language. This type of “communication via displays to see a virtual puck on a table. Unlike our approach, the
game play”, in which the game becomes a “context of stylized game requires both players to be in the same physical location
communication”, has the power to bring diverse people together [13]. The authors suggest a vibration force-feedback device to
through social interaction [4]. People enjoy the same multi-player simulate the impact of the puck; however, we believe the physical
games worldwide, an indicator that they have the ability to span impact experienced in the real game is more exciting and creates
different cultures and backgrounds. the illusion of a shared space better than a vibration.
KiRo [14] is a robotic foosball table, where robotic arms control
3. HYPOTHESIS one set of handlebars, replacing the other player. Such a system
Casual physical games such as airhockey and table football are could be extended to allow playing over a distance: two coupled
characterized by an exerting interaction with a tangible interface, versions of the table would be networked, and the sensors on the
focus on accurate hand-eye coordination, and are usually played human player’s handles would measure the movements and
in a social context. We believe such games can work against the transmit them as input for the distant robot, allowing two users to
trend of social decline if they support game-play between play against each other without being in the same location.
participants that live geographically apart, hence compensating However, the synchronization of the ball’s location across the two
for today’s distributed lifestyle. Our approach focuses on two tables could be difficult to implement.
components: providing the players with the ability to engage in a
One of the first attempts of distributing physical activity over a
conversation at any time through a high-quality, large-size
network is “Telephonic Arm Wrestling”, in which the player arm-
videoconference, and supporting a physical (in contrast to
wrestles the opponent over a phone line [15]. Also rather physical
virtual), playful game experience that can result in a social
than social is the networked “Tug-of-War”: At the New York Hall
rapport between the players, even in a networked environment.
of Science two teams of high-school students were involved in a
tug-of-war 13 miles apart from each other [16].
4. AIRHOCKEY OVER A DISTANCE
Airhockey Over a Distance aims to enable players to hit a
physical puck back and forth between two networked airhockey
tables [Fig 1]. It is played like a conventional airhockey game:
two competing players are trying to score points in the opposing
player’s goal with a small round bat. The puck glides on a layer of
air, pushed through hundreds of small holes, minimizing surface
friction and thus enabling quick game play. In our
implementation, the table is figuratively split in half and the two
ends are connected via a network. The players hit a real puck
back and forth, trying to score a goal. Once the puck passes the
midway-line, it is detected, and a corresponding physical puck is
shot out at the other table.
Figure 2. Conceptual design.
5. RELATED WORK
Airhockey Over a Distance demonstrates a novel interface in
which a tangible, physical object replicates its appearance across
a network. Unlike other networked tangible interfaces such as the 6. IMPLEMENTATION
PSyBench [8] and inTouch [9], where identical instances exist on Airhockey Over a Distance consists of two airhockey tables, half
both ends and only a state is synchronized, our approach allows of each is involved in game play and connected via a network.
the interaction object to exist only in one location at a time. The player is recorded by a camera and the video is displayed on
the screen of the other player, creating the illusion of playing
A project featuring a physical shared object that is passed back together on one table [Fig 2]. The videoconference screen is
and forth is the throw and catch system described in [10]: A placed just above the table, and includes a camera that peeks
player throws a ball into a basket, a detection mechanism through a hole in the projection surface. A projector placed above
recognizes and transmits this information, and pops a ball out at the table projects the video of the other player onto the screen.
the other end, creating a simple ball game between two players. We are utilizing a DV-quality codec implementation to guarantee
Sports Over a Distance is an attempt to allow two players to play a high-fidelity audio and visual experience between the
a physically exhausting ball game together [11]. The authors participants.
define their “exertion interface” as an interface that deliberately When a player shoots a puck across the half-way line, it
requires physical effort [11], and other “exertion interfaces” are disappears through a small slot between the table and the
described by [12]. The players exhaust themselves because they videoconference projection surface. At the moment it crosses the
are both kicking a physical ball against a wall. Even though this center line, the puck is detected by a sensor detection system
project showed that exertion interfaces more strongly support which triggers the networked control software. A mix of
connectedness between players than virtual games, possibilities Windows and Linux desktop PCs handling the client/server
for increasing the sense of connectedness still exist. How would software analyze the incoming data and transmit it along with the
videoconferencing data over the network. The control software experience, these values seemed to be acceptable for a social
then fires one of four rotating puck cannons on the other table, game of Airhockey Over a Distance.
which shoots a puck for the other player to hit. Each puck cannon
holds an array of pucks [Fig 3] and has a spinning disc at the 7. SCENARIOS
bottom which hits pucks out at very high speeds. The cannons We think the major application area of Airhockey Over a Distance
were designed to fire pucks at speeds similar to the hit-speed of is socializing spaces in offices of distributed corporations. Putting
players we observed. After triggering the detection system, the the table in gathering areas (e.g. canteens, reception areas) would
puck on the originating table is caught in a catchment tray and is enable employees to play with colleagues that are located in other
collected by hand at the end of the game. When their stack of office buildings and could therefore encourage them to meet on a
pucks is gone, the puck cannons are manually reloaded. This serendipitous and casual basis. We also think this table would be
reloading can be done during game-play by someone other than a valuable addition to other technologies that connect people over
the players. a distance, such as videoconferencing equipment or ambient
Each puck cannon is connected to a server motor, which controls awareness devices such as [17] or [18].
the angle that the puck is emitted. We found this direction system Because of the accessibility of the game (i.e. one does not need
in combination with four cannons to be adequate enough to any special skills for the game, nor does one need to know the
provide the necessary number of possible positions for the puck, other person or his/her language), other application areas could
and favored this approach to a sliding single-cannon system due be:
to its speed. All components were designed for rapid execution,
and our preliminary tests show that the system is fast enough for 1. Arcades. Arcade parlors lose customers due to the
an enjoyable game experience. availability of game consoles in people’s homes [19].
Networking arcades and turning them into social spaces
where friends from different cities can play and
socialize together could open up new revenue avenues
Mechanism to for these businesses. Providing physical game play with
rotate cannons the addition of a high-quality videoconference
facilitated by a high-bandwidth connection could
differentiate the experience from in-house networked
computer games.
2. Airports. Linking people in different time zones and of
Array to hold different cultures could enable them to have fun while
stack of pucks waiting for flights and connect with other travelers.
Lever to push 3. Youth clubs. Enabling young people to get in contact
bottom puck with other youngsters from different countries could
towards help them learn in a playful way about other cultures
spinning disc and languages.
4. Children’s hospitals. Giving sick children the
opportunity to play with children in other hospitals or
with friends from home would be a valuable experience
Spinning disc
to shoot puck
not currently available.

Figure 3. The rotating puck cannons.

6.1 Delay
One of the appeals of an airhockey game is certainly its speed.
Hitting the fast moving puck requires fast reflexes and the hit and
miss nature of the game is part of the fun. Recreating an
airhockey experience over a network comes with certain
latencies: The mechanical system, the network and the
videoconferencing system introduce delays. We did some
preliminary tests before the initial design to determine acceptable
values for these delays. Obviously, the delay in all the
components should be kept to a minimum. However, we found
the delay in our system is tolerable for an enjoyable game
experience. The videoconference delay was minimized through a
low-latency network and averaged around 200ms. The latency in
the networking software introduced was around 50ms. From our
 Figure 4. Impressions from playing Airhockey Over a Distance.

our prediction that the Air Hockey over Distance system would
8. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS foster a strong sense of connectedness.
An interactive demonstration of the system was held after the
hardware and software development was completed. Time constraints on production lead to a mechanical limitation
Approximately 30 people interacted with the system, and the of the system. During game play, the speed and position of the
demonstration lasted for four hours [Fig 4]. The airhockey tables pucks were not calculated. Instead, the puck’s position was
were set up in two different rooms, where participants could randomly chosen and speed was a constant. The interviews and
neither see nor hear each other (without the use of the video observations from the demonstration showed that participants
equipment). Participants were observed and six interviews were were surprised and slightly bemused by the random angle and
conducted. Participants responded with excitement and speed of the puck. However, the game was still enjoyable and
constructive feedback. Overall, the comments were conducive to the system seemed to have established a connection between the
two players. For example, after playing the game, one
participant noted, “This feels like my first salsa lessons, I’m
slightly confused, but it’s a shared experience to talk about.” After technically refining the system, our next step is to
Another participant stressed the importance of puck prediction, formally analyze the affects of Airhockey Over a Distance on
“I love it… great fun… just brilliant. Only thing is angle of puck players’ sense of connectedness to each other. We are planning
on screen isn’t same as when puck comes out, my brain didn’t a comparative experiment to study the interaction between
have time to react.” Another participant exclaimed, “If you participants with the physical game and a virtual version. In
could get pucks to line up, I think that’s the only thing that’s addition to the system with a shared physical puck, we have
missing, other than that, I think it’s pretty cool… very cool.” built a virtual-based version of the networked airhockey table. It
Even though this was an informal evaluation, we were able to utilizes the same videoconferencing technology and is played on
obtain indicators that show that participants had a shared the same physical table; however, the puck is not physical, but a
experience with their game-partner. When being interviewed virtual projection from above the table. The players use
about the game experience, an enthusiastic participant modified bats which consist of a tracking system to hit the
commented, “I’m taken with this.. you could have a true virtual puck back and forth. We aim to determine if the
interaction with someone, they could make you laugh, they physicality of the game influences the interaction and if it can
could make you swear.. that kind of interaction is unique, contribute to a perceived “shared space” between the remote
without abusing the word.” players. This will allow us to better understand the significance
of distributed physical interfaces on interactions between
spatially separated participants.
9. COMPUTERS IN ENTERTAINMENT
We are proposing one instance of a new form of computer
entertainment: Facilitating fun through the use of a physical 11. CONCLUSION
interaction in combination with a social experience, whereas the We believe the physicality of the Airhockey Over a Distance
social experience is distributed between geographically separate game combined with its fast paced game play makes a
sites. Although local social interaction is also possible, and was compelling experience that has the potential to facilitate an
quite enjoyed by our participants, the main focus is on increased connectedness between remote players. The physical
facilitating the interaction between remote participants through a and powerful action of hitting a real puck, its transformation
casual game. This game gives the players “something to talk into the virtual space and its physical reappearance on the
about”, functioning as the “lubricant” for the interaction. The remote end can contribute towards the perception of a shared
entertainment thrives from the fast hand-eye coordination, space in which the players interact. Although we are aware that
trying to control a fast puck, and also interacting with friends (or casual games are only one way of supporting social interactions,
strangers) that are usually not accessible due to the physical we believe from the preliminary feedback we gained that this
distance. This opportunity makes up for the increased hardware physically distributed game is able to facilitate an increased
effort such a system requires, we believe, and opens up a new connectedness through social interaction between
opportunity for high-bandwidth broadband and dedicated geographically separated players.
physical interfaces in the entertainment area.
12. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
10. FUTURE WORK We thank CeNTIE (Centre for Networking Technologies for the
In order to further evaluate Airhockey Over a Distance, plans to Information Economy), which is supported by the Australian
improve the puck detection and firing system are underway. We Government through the Advanced Networks Program (ANP) of
are currently experimenting with a vision-based approach to the Department of Communications, Information Technology
predict when and where the puck will cross the middle-line. and the Arts and the CSIRO ICT Centre. Thanks to the
Such a prediction system can save valuable time in this fast following people who contributed extensively to this project:
game environment, which could compensate for small amounts Roy Featherstone, Ken Taylor, Chris Gunn, Duncan Stevenson,
of network latency. However, our early results indicate that the Matthew Hutchins, Doug Palmer, Matt Adcock and Jocelyn
speed of the game still demands a very fast network connection Smith.
and is appreciative of the lowest latency available.
The puck cannons are mechanically designed to shoot pucks
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