“KAGEO” by Uchida and Inakage

KAGEO is an entertainment content which enables the user to communicate with marvelous creatures living inside shadows. We created a worldview of feelings everyone have had in their childhood that something might be living in the dark or inside shadows. By making intuitive actions such as peeking, touching, and moving objects around, it can be enjoyed easily by many people. The objects are not attached to the table-top nor equipped with sensors, therefore whether the user moves the object around KAGEO will appear anywhere inside the shadow. We used algorithm of boids in creating KAGEO movements. Moreover, the animations are projected from under the genuine wooden table-top which was custom made. By hiding all the mechanical devices and making the table appearance very normal, we can feel the existence of KAGEO more real. It is a new entertainment content of combining tangible interface and augmented reality.

1. Uchida, U., Naito, M., and Hirayama, S. “Kage no Sekai”: Interactive animation of shadow based on physical action. SIGCHI ACE 2007, Demonstration