Active-Adventure: The Winds of Orbis 'The Winds of Orbis: An Active-Adventure' will be the Entertainment Technology Center's first interactive game for children that uses the Wiimote and DDR floor pad to put the guest into the shoes of an on-screen hero. This student-pitched project will use the expertise of resident medical experts to construct a measurable workout for the guest that focuses on progression through structured cardiovascular exercises and repeated body movements. There will be a devoted focus to take the player's mind off of burning calories and into game world immersion through revolutionary gameplay, a powerful art style, and a compelling narrative. Our objective is not to replace traditional exercise for children; it is to offer an alternative to sedentary videogame-playing kids that would not otherwise consider a healthier outlet.
	ARIEL Augmented Reality for Interpretive and Experiential Learning (ARIEL) is a project with the Franklin Institute focused on creating the foundation for an open-source software application that would enable science center exhibit designers to access the many methods of Augmented Reality. We will be designing the first of many features that the application aims to have. Specifically, we aim to develop software that would allow a user to detect differences in webcam feeds and execute actions based on the detections. The project also aims to devise the four year development outline for The Franklin Institute to utilize in future semesters. Future semesters’ development would include fleshing out features, adding technologies, and refining the interface. Also, future development would involve researching social networks for the design and development of MUSpace, the co-constructive learning environment that The Franklin Institute hopes to connect to all of the Augmented Reality exhibits.
	Poptics Artist Burton Morris builds on the tradition of Pop Art masters of the 1960’s and 70’s. His art portrays everyday ideas and objects, transforming popular culture icons into thought provoking works of fine art. His distinctive style is characterized by radiant black outlines and vivid colors that emit energy and optimism in all of his artwork. The aim of this project is to combine Burton Morris’ works with technology to create a high art exhibit. In what ways might Burton’s images become infused with motion and interactivity? In what ways might his works be transformed into kinetic art? The semester process will focus on working with Burton Morris and iterating across various ideas and concepts that would create interactive, immersive experiences that incorporate his artistic style and vision.
	Get in Line Get in Line is a student pitched development project to create interactive experiences that can entertain people while they wait in long lines. Currently, significant hours are spent waiting in lengthy lines at amusement parks, events (like a haunted house, sporting event or new video game launch), and even at restaurants. Waiting in these lines usually creates a disconnect from the ‘total guest experience’ and is often the number one complaint people have regarding their experiences with entertainment venues and activities. This project will develop a themed interactivity with a game play mechanic that captive line audiences can participate in. Ideally, the game that people will play will not only entertain them but look to make productive use of their time. We will attempt to model some interactive ‘Games with a Purpose’ hopefully collaborating with Luis von Ahn and other Carnegie Mellon departments. We will also look to utilize story aspects to integrate the game experiences into the ‘total guest experience’ for that venue.
	Hatch Hatch is a project team located in Silicon Valley. We are working with Global Imagination's "Magic Planet," a spherical projection screen with unique potential for information and entertainment. Hatch's goal is to take full advantage of the Magic Planet's one-of-a-kind display, creating eye-catching, useful, and fun applications that showcase information in a worldwide context and interactive experiences that explore the possibilities of a truly 3-D interface. Hatch is developing for the Magic Planet in a partnership with Global Imagination, and creating content for a Magic Planet that will be on display at the Entertainment Technology Center's main campus in Pittsburgh.
	Interstellar Overdrive The Interstellar Overdrive team aims to truly push the envelope by creating meaningful interactive experiences at the Entertainment Technology Center. The team will work closely with Virtual Devices, Inc to use the existing ETC theming as a test bed for their technology and to create additional functionality and capability of/for their systems. The goal of the project will be the installation of this technology, as well as other innovative hardware and software, throughout the ETC to create a more immersive, interactive environment. The project will incorporate these technologies into the fifth floor Starship Bridge, the ETC Global Map, and elsewhere throughout the ETC.
	KAIST Description coming soon
	Omega The Omega project is comprised of a group of 4 individuals of various backgrounds and disciplines. Working with Lockheed Martin, the team will be experimenting with various guest experiences, identifying some of the most cutting edge technologies, while developing new interactive programs according to our client's specifications.
	Patient Experience The patient experience throughout rehabilitation after total knee and hip replacement can be filled with pain, fear, and uncertainty. Our goal is to create an environment which helps the patient through the rehabilitation process. By creating an interactive environment that gives the patient feedback and encouragement while showing them how far they have progressed, we can make the experience more bearable. If you have ever gone through therapy, you may have been told to go over to a machine and do the exercise for 5 minutes. This approach is used often when there are several patients to one therapist. The patient does not know if they are doing the exercise correctly or if they have made any progress, especially since progress is usually slow at first. These unknowns add to the unpleasantness of the therapy. We will create an experience that is fast and easy to setup that monitors the patient. We can then provide feedback to the patient to let them know how they are doing and show them how much they have progressed. The therapist can also use the information to enhance the patients therapy.
	Playground The Playground of the Future team has been charged with envisioning, designing and prototyping a playground for the children of today and tomorrow. Our design will integrate cutting edge technology with traditional and experimental playground design to engage today’s tech savvy children. We aim to design a space which excites children to explore the world around them, to think creatively, and to be active in their play. Playground of the Future is a joint effort between the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and is sponsored by the Grable Foundation.
	SHARP Japan The SHARP project team is a team of students occupying a campus in Osaka, Japan. We are cooperating with SHARP Corporation to explore prototypes of cutting edge technologies. Sharp Corporation is a global corporation that is on the cutting egde of digital technologies. Also, we are the pioneers of ETC Osaka, Japan, and we hope to develop the campus for future classes.
	Tea & Sugar Train The "Tea and Sugar Train Team" is making interactive exhibits for the historical artifact "Tea and Sugar Train" located at Port Adelaide, South Australia. The Tea and Sugar Train was literally a shopping center on wheels that included a bank, a provision car, a butcher shop, and a relay car for transporting city luxuries to isolated areas. The goal of this project is to help the Australian National Railway Museum make the Tea and Sugar Train the centerpiece of a new exhibit on the history of life in the Outback by bringing the old train to life using interactive technologies. Our team is pioneering CMU’s cooperation with University of South Australia. Their role will mainly be doing historical research and providing the content whereas ETC will be focusing on the technical backbone of the whole project.

For a list of past projects and innovations, check out our Project Archives.