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Active video games (AVG) have become widespread as more physical interfaces are introduced in video games. Lab based studies have indicated that AVGs can increase the amount and intensity of physical activity compared to non-active games and TV, however, the long-term effectiveness of AVGs has yet been established. In fact, most of the existing studies show a reduction of interest and participation over time. This paper presents our findings from a long-term, multi-site deployment of a pervasive health game, the American Horsepower Challenge (AHPC). Similar to previous studies, our findings also show reduced effectiveness of the game, but on a much larger scale. Moreover, we analyze reasons for this and report what kind of game related online and offline activities happened during the deployment. We argue that a shift of evaluation metrics and design goals is required to make real-world sustainable behavior changes. Based on empirical data, we propose three goals for AVGssustainability, adaptability and sociability. Behavior-changing games can learn how to achieve these goals from existing game genres, such as alternate reality games, location-based games, family games, and multiplayer online games etc.

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Experimental results show that 3D-SIFT-Flow is robust for segmenting the liver from CT images, which has large tissue deformation and blurry boundary, and 3D label transfer is effective and efficient for improving the registration accuracy.

We study the Florida high-voltage power grid as a technological network embedded in space. Measurements of geographical lengths of transmission lines, the mixing of generators and loads, the weighted clustering coefficient, as well as the organization of edge conductance weights show a complex architecture quite different from random-graph models usually considered. In particular, we introduce a parametrized mixing matrix to characterize the mixing pattern of generators and loads in the Florida Grid, which is intermediate between the random mixing case and the semi-bipartite case where generator-generator transmission lines are forbidden. Our observations motivate an investigation of optimization (design) principles leading to the structural organization of power grids. We thus propose two network optimization models for the Florida Grid as a case study. Our results show that the Florida Grid is optimized not only by reducing the construction cost (measured by the total length of power lines), but also through reducing the total pairwise edge resistance in the grid, which increases the robustness of power transmission between generators and loads against random line failures. We then embed our models in spatial areas of different aspect ratios and study how this geometric factor affects the network structure, as well as the box-counting fractal dimension of the grids generated by our models.

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The game industry and related research communities have shown a surge of interest in reality-based interfaces that create "embodied" game play experiences. Handheld AR (HAR) is a reality-based interface that renders digital objects onto a player's perception of the physical world. HAR creates a hybrid space in which players can leverage their existing physical and social skills to interact with the game system and with each other. Although HAR has received some attention in the world of handheld gaming, there is little research that summarizes and communicates design principles and implications across multiple examples. In this paper, we analyze and generate design lessons from dozens of HAR games, drawn from academic and commercial AR games, and also our years of experience designing and teaching HAR game design. We summarize our experience in this new field into a set of design "pre-patterns" as a means of formalizing significant design lessons derived from these existing practices into repeatable principles and solutions. We contribute to both the game and interaction design communities with pre-patterns that support embodied game play. KEYWORDS:Handheld augmented reality interface, design patterns, game design, game interface. As new designers and researchers approach HAR technology, they are asking themselves similar questions. What kind of experience can HAR support and create for the player, aside from the shear "novelty" of the interface? What are the constraints and complexities that this technology adds? How can we transform embodied interaction with a HAR interface into meaningful embodied game play? Both AR research and game design communities have something to contribute to the discussion. AR researchers have investigated the affordances and constraints of AR interfaces [11,12], and empirically examined AR systems in a number of contexts, including collaborative work, instructor support, learning, and games [7,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Game designers are familiar with game elements and conventions that are critical for enjoyable game experiences. We hope to bridge this discussion between the two communities by presenting our results as a collection of design pre-patterns for HAR games. INDEX TERMS:Design pattern research is a tool to capture and communicate repeated solutions for recurring problems in the field [19][20][21]. Although it was first created in the context of the mature field of architecture, recent research has suggested the idea that sharing design knowledge might also be appropriate for less mature design domains, such as ubiquitous computing and home technology [22,23]. Recognizing that HAR game design is a nascent, fast-growing domain, we adopt the term "pre-patterns" in our work, which has been used to identify patterns that focus on summarizing ongoing practice to inspire new design.In this paper, we present nine design pre-patterns that leverage four kinds of embodied human skills [4]. Different from software engineering design patterns, where the "problems" are usually ...

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