Embodied Interaction Design in Engineering Education using Asus Xtion Pro

How does a design of emerging embodied technologies, such as Asus Xtion Pro, enrich the HCI learning processes in Engineering Education? The fifth semester engineering students used the motion sensing input device, Asus Xtion Pro (similar to Microsoft’s Kinect), for the design of an embodied interaction tool for children. They designed a gesture-based painting tool, and the users painted in different colours using pencils in different sizes. The prototype was tested on school children from the third grade. The platform was interesting as a design tool because it appealed to full body interaction. During the test, they experienced that hand gestures, full body interaction and playfulness often were linked.
The digital design process enriched the HCI learning processes, and the students successfully developed their own prototypes. The students reflected on HCI and design issues based on real embodied prototypes. In other words, the students learned by designing and reflecting.