Pong, all night long: Dal CS brings classic video game to the beach for Nocturne

For the past two years, Dal Computer Science prof Derek Reilly and his students have brought fun and games to Halifax’s Nocturne: Art at Night festival, with interactive exhibits that double as hands-on research projects.

And if you enjoyed the award-winning “Tweetris” two years ago, or last year’s high-tech mystery game “Operation Citadel,” get ready to head to the beach and get your Pong on.

“Beach Pong is a mash-up of beach volleyball and the classic video game Pong,” explains Dr. Reilly, assistant professor in the Faculty of Computer Science, of this year’s exhibit.

Dr. Reilly and his team of students in the Human-Computer Interaction lab have been working over the past year on their new mixed reality game, which will be unveiled during Halifax and Dartmouth’s annual nighttime downtown arts festival this Saturday.

Here’s how it works: holding a large foam fluorescent paddle, players will shimmy side to side on either end of a sand court in order to hit a virtual ball. This ball is visible to players via a 3D viewfinder embedded in the paddle – and visible to the audience on a large projection of a tube TV showcasing a videogame version of the game in progress. A grid of LED lights placed on the sand between the player regions also shows the position and direction of the virtual ball.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Ready, set, serve… lava?

Here’s where it gets tricky: as players play, they upset the flat sand, causing small — or large — pockets of uneven sand. Depressions in the sand (below a certain threshold) are detected using a 3D depth camera. Virtual lava is then projected directly onto the sand, giving the appearance of flowing lava. If a player accidentally steps into the lava, a projected flame will erupt and their game is over. The sand is raked and ready for the next players to give it a go.

“We are interested in how players divide their attention between the physical environment, the viewfinder and the embedded display elements like the lava,” explains Dr. Reilly. “Knowing more about how people divide their attention and awareness when engaging in physically-demanding mixed reality games gives us insight into how future systems can integrate fluidly with the physical activities we do in the world around us.”

Dr. Reilly (third from left) and his team on the waterfront.  

Dr. Reilly’s Nocturne presentations have been incredibly popular: 2012’s Tweetris, which had attendees compete in a massive game of Tetris projected on scaffolding on the side of Dal’s Medjuck (Architecture) Building, won the festival’s first ever audience award.

So if you’re heading out to Nocturne this weekend, make sure to drop by “the beach” and grab a paddle: Dr. Reilly and his team will be at Sands on Salter on the Halifax waterfront between 6 p.m. and midnight.

More Dal at Nocturne

Dr. Reilly's presentation isn't the only Dal-connected Nocturne exhibit this year.

Make sure to include the Dalhousie Art Gallery on your itinerary Saturday night, which is featuring (im)mobile, an exhibit with works by Edith Flückiger (Lucerne, Switerland) and Germaine Koh (Vancouver, Canada) curated by Mireille Bourgeois and Chantal Molleur. The two artists in (im)mobile present conceptual artwork, comprised of electronic installation, video and digital text pieces, in a conversation exploring mobility and balance.

The Art Gallery is also partnering with Phin for a display titled Incidental Findings, one chapter of a multimedia installation staged in a 26’ U-Haul Truck called Trio (Magic House/Magic Ride). Look for it on the Halifax waterfront by Nova Scotia Power (south partking lot)

Then there's Balance, a multimedia project which combines a large projection screen and a live orchestra featuring students from the Fountain School of Performing Arts. Through original video footage by Andrew Coll and Brandon Mott, it explores the contrast between untouched nature and urban landscapes, as well as the ever-changing state of human communication. Check it out at the Cathedral Church of All Saints at 1330 Martello St. (Thanks to commenter "Andrew" for the tip!)