Research

29 pages, 5827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Gamification-Based Approach on Indoor Wayfinding Research

by Dries De Leeuw, Philippe De Maeyer and Laure De Cock

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(7), 423; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9070423 - 30 Jun 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3122

Indoor environments can be very complex. Due to the challenges in these environments in combination with the absence of mobile wayfinding aids, a great need exists for innovative research on indoor wayfinding. In this explorative study, a game was developed in Unity to [...] Read more.

Indoor environments can be very complex. Due to the challenges in these environments in combination with the absence of mobile wayfinding aids, a great need exists for innovative research on indoor wayfinding. In this explorative study, a game was developed in Unity to investigate whether the concept of gamification could be used in studies on indoor wayfinding so as to provide useful information regarding the link between wayfinding performance, personal characteristics, and building layout. Results show a significant difference between gamers and non-gamers as the complexity of the player movement has an important impact on the navigation velocity in the game. However, further analysis reveals that the architectural layout also has an impact on the navigation velocity and that wrong turns in the game are influenced by the landmarks at the decision points: navigating at deeper decision points in convex spaces is slower and landmarks of the categories pictograms and infrastructural were more effective in this particular building. Therefore, this explorative study, which provides an approach for the use of gamification in indoor wayfinding research, has shown that serious games could be successfully used as a medium for data acquisition related to indoor wayfinding in a virtual environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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22 pages, 2822 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting Disaster Resilience Spatial Thinking with Serious GeoGames: Project Lily Pad

by Brian Tomaszewski, Amy Walker, Emily Gawlik, Casey Lane, Scott Williams, Deborah Orieta, Claudia McDaniel, Matthew Plummer, Anushka Nair, Nicolas San Jose, Nathan Terrell, Kyle Pecsok, Emma Thomley, Erin Mahoney, Emily Haberlack and David Schwartz

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(6), 405; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9060405 - 22 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5247

Abstract

The need for improvement of societal disaster resilience and response efforts was evident after the destruction caused by the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. We present a novel conceptual framework for improving disaster resilience through the combination of serious games, geographic information systems (GIS), [...] Read more.

The need for improvement of societal disaster resilience and response efforts was evident after the destruction caused by the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. We present a novel conceptual framework for improving disaster resilience through the combination of serious games, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial thinking, and disaster resilience. Our framework is implemented via Project Lily Pad, a serious geogame based on our conceptual framework, serious game case studies, interviews and real-life experiences from 2017 Hurricane Harvey survivors in Dickinson, TX, and an immersive hurricane-induced flooding scenario. The game teaches a four-fold set of skills relevant to spatial thinking and disaster resilience, including reading a map, navigating an environment, coding verbal instructions, and determining best practices in a disaster situation. Results of evaluation of the four skills via Project Lily Pad through a “think aloud” study conducted by both emergency management novices and professionals revealed that the game encouraged players to think spatially, can help build awareness for disaster response scenarios, and has potential for real-life use by emergency management professionals. It can be concluded from our results that the combination of serious games, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial thinking, and disaster resilience, as implemented via Project Lily Pad and our evaluation results, demonstrated the wide range of possibilities for using serious geogames to improve disaster resilience spatial thinking and potentially save lives when disasters occur. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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23 pages, 4018 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Participation, for Whom? The Potential of Gamified Participatory Artefacts in Uncovering Power Relations within Urban Renewal Projects

by Teodora Iulia Constantinescu, Oswald Devisch and Liesbeth Huybrechts

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 319; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9050319 - 12 May 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2878

Abstract

When defining participation in urban renewal projects in a political sense, this concept implies the challenging of power relations in each of its dimensions while addressing the need for knowledge, action and consciousness. Knowledge is defined as a resource which affects observable [...] Read more.

When defining participation in urban renewal projects in a political sense, this concept implies the challenging of power relations in each of its dimensions while addressing the need for knowledge, action and consciousness. Knowledge is defined as a resource which affects observable decision making. Action looks at who is involved in the production of such knowledge in order to challenge and shape the political agenda. Consciousness is how the production of knowledge changes the awareness or worldview of those involved, thus shaping the psychological and conceptual boundaries of what is possible. This paper addresses these politics of participation via the use of gamification, and more particularly gamified participatory artefacts. We discuss how a ‘good’ participatory planning process implies rebalancing existing power relations via the redistribution of knowledge, consciousness and actions, and aims to operationalize this ambition through a game. We particularly focus on the urban renewal process of one particular case, namely the Vennestraat—one of the main commercial streets of the city of Genk (BE) and present a three year participatory mapping process that made use of three gamified participatory artefacts (i.e., socio-economic network mapping, gathering mental images and scenario games). After uncovering the complex field of power relations in the entrepreneurial street, we analyze the different types of relations/groups that emerge from this participatory mapping process. The paper concludes with an analytical framework that employs gamified participatory artefacts in order to map and understand power relations and the mechanisms that frame them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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19 pages, 8199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Minecraft as a Tool for Engaging Children in Urban Planning: A Case Study in Tirol Town, Brazil

by Bruno de Andrade, Alenka Poplin and Ítalo Sousa de Sena

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(3), 170; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9030170 - 13 Mar 2020

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 10837

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of Minecraft’s game environment for urban planning with older and younger children in a public school in Tirol town, Brazil. Minecraft is employed as an innovative tool to tackle the present lack of [...] Read more.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of Minecraft’s game environment for urban planning with older and younger children in a public school in Tirol town, Brazil. Minecraft is employed as an innovative tool to tackle the present lack of engagement and involvement of key societal actors such as children and young people in urban planning. Thus, how can games support children to co-design their future city? Which heritage values do they represent graphically in the game environment? Geogames are games that provide a visualization of a real spatial context and in this study, Minecraft is the tool which we use to explore youth engagement. We designed two experiments, which tested Minecraft as a geogame environment for engaging young people in urban planning. These experiments were conducted with children, who emerged as active emancipated actors to bring their values to the planning practice. The playtesting results revealed the potential of Minecraft to keep children engaged in the design workshop, as well as their relevant ludic ability to co-create walkable, green, and interactive places. New research questions arose about the potential of creating a culture of planning among children in order to motivate other social actors to share responsibilities for sustainable development and management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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14 pages, 1348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Think Spatially With Game Engine

by Carlos Carbonell-Carrera, Peri Gunalp, Jose Luis Saorin and Stephany Hess-Medler

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(3), 159; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9030159 - 09 Mar 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3582

Abstract

Spatial thinking and spatial orientation skills are involved in tasks related to the recognition of landforms, mapping, spatial interpretation, and landscape analysis, and can be developed with specific training. Game engines can facilitate the creation of 3D virtual landforms and provide powerful rendering [...] Read more.

Spatial thinking and spatial orientation skills are involved in tasks related to the recognition of landforms, mapping, spatial interpretation, and landscape analysis, and can be developed with specific training. Game engines can facilitate the creation of 3D virtual landforms and provide powerful rendering engines for the graphical representation of landscapes from a first-person perspective. In the present research, 27 engineering students participated in a workshop in a first-person virtual environment using landforms created with a game engine. The Spatial Thinking Ability Test and the Perspective Taking-Spatial Orientation Test measured improvement in spatial thinking and spatial orientation as a result of this workshop. The gain in spatial thinking (8.31%) is within the range observed in previous research in the field of geography using a web-based GIS strategy (7.31%–10.00%). The gain in Spatial Orientation skill (15.76%) is comparable with previous research using both first-person strategies based in urban virtual environments (14.23%), and Spatial Data Infrastructures (gains between 21.17% and 21.34%). Participants with better self-reported sense of direction had better performance on the spatial orientation test. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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27 pages, 14131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Behavioural Effects of Spatially Structured Scoring Systems in Location-Based Serious Games—A Case Study in the Context of OpenStreetMap

by Rene Westerholt, Heinrich Lorei and Bernhard Höfle

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(2), 129; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9020129 - 22 Feb 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4468

Abstract

Location-based games have become popular in recent years, with Pokémon Go and Ingress being two very prominent examples. Some location-based games, known as Serious Games, go beyond entertainment and serve additional purposes such as data collection. Such games are also found in the [...] Read more.

Location-based games have become popular in recent years, with Pokémon Go and Ingress being two very prominent examples. Some location-based games, known as Serious Games, go beyond entertainment and serve additional purposes such as data collection. Such games are also found in the OpenStreetMap context and playfully enrich the project’s geodatabase. Examples include Kort and StreetComplete. This article examines the role of spatially structured scoring systems as a motivational element. It is analysed how spatial structure in scoring systems is correlated with changes observed in the game behaviour. For this purpose, our study included two groups of subjects who played a modified game based on StreetComplete in a real urban environment. One group played the game with a spatially structured scoring system and the other with a spatially random scoring system. We evaluated different indicators and analysed the players’ GPS trajectories. In addition, the players filled out questionnaires to investigate whether they had become aware of the scoring system they were playing. The results obtained show that players who are confronted with a spatially structured scoring system are more likely to be in areas with high scores, have a longer playing time, walk longer distances and are more willing to take detours. Furthermore, discrepancies between the perception of a possible system in the scoring system and corresponding actions were revealed. The results are informative for game design, but also for a better understanding of how players interact with their geographical context during location-based games. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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20 pages, 4712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing a Serious Game That Supports the Resolution of Social and Ecological Problems in the Toolset Environment of Cities: Skylines

by Robert Olszewski, Mateusz Cegiełka, Urszula Szczepankowska and Jacek Wesołowski

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(2), 118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9020118 - 20 Feb 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6506

Abstract

Game engines are not only capable of creating virtual worlds or providing entertainment, but also of modelling actual geographical space and producing solutions that support the process of social participation. This article presents an authorial concept of using the environment of Cities: Skylines [...] Read more.

Game engines are not only capable of creating virtual worlds or providing entertainment, but also of modelling actual geographical space and producing solutions that support the process of social participation. This article presents an authorial concept of using the environment of Cities: Skylines and the C# programming language to automate the process of importing official topographic data into the game engine and developing a prototype of a serious game that supports solving social and ecological problems. The model—developed using digital topographic data, digital terrain models, and CityGML 3D models—enabled the creation of a prototype of a serious game, later endorsed by the residents of the municipality, local authorities, as well as the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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18 pages, 8750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automatic Geodata Processing Methods for Real-World City Visualizations in Cities: Skylines

by Jan Pinos, Vit Vozenilek and Ondrej Pavlis

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(1), 17; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi9010017 - 01 Jan 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 15359

Abstract

The city-building game Cities: Skylines simulates urban-related processes in a visually appealing 3D environment and thus offers interesting possibilities for visualizations of real-world places. Such visualizations could be used for presentation, participation, or education projects. However, the creation process of the game model [...] Read more.

The city-building game Cities: Skylines simulates urban-related processes in a visually appealing 3D environment and thus offers interesting possibilities for visualizations of real-world places. Such visualizations could be used for presentation, participation, or education projects. However, the creation process of the game model from geographical data is inaccurate, complicated, and time consuming, thus preventing the wider use of this game for non-entertainment purposes. This paper presents the automatic methods scripted in the Cities: Skylines application programming interface (API) and bundled into a game modification (commonly referred to as a game mod) named GeoSkylines, to create a geographically accurate visualization of real-world places in Cities: Skylines. Based on various geographical data, the presented methods create road and rail networks, tree coverage, water basins, planning zones, buildings, and services. Using these methods, playable models of the cities of Svit (Slovakia) and Olomouc (Czech Republic) were created in the game. The game mod GeoSkylines also provides methods for exporting game objects such as roads, buildings, and zones into a Geographic Information System (GIS) data format that can be processed further. This feature enables the game Cities: Skylines to be utilized as a data collection tool that could be used in redevelopment design projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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18 pages, 9091 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilizing A Game Engine for Interactive 3D Topographic Data Visualization

by Dany Laksono and Trias Aditya

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2019, 8(8), 361; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi8080361 - 15 Aug 2019

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 10806

Abstract

Developers have long used game engines for visualizing virtual worlds for players to explore. However, using real-world data in a game engine is always a challenging task, since most game engines have very little support for geospatial data. This paper presents our findings [...] Read more.

Developers have long used game engines for visualizing virtual worlds for players to explore. However, using real-world data in a game engine is always a challenging task, since most game engines have very little support for geospatial data. This paper presents our findings from exploring the Unity3D game engine for visualizing large-scale topographic data from mixed sources of terrestrial laser scanner models and topographic map data. Level of detail (LOD) 3 3D models of two buildings of the Universitas Gadjah Mada campus were obtained using a terrestrial laser scanner converted into the FBX format. Mapbox for Unity was used to provide georeferencing support for the 3D model. Unity3D also used road and place name layers via Mapbox for Unity based on OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. LOD1 buildings were modeled from topographic map data using Mapbox, and 3D models from the terrestrial laser scanner replaced two of these buildings. Building information and attributes, as well as visual appearances, were added to 3D features. The Unity3D game engine provides a rich set of libraries and assets for user interactions, and custom C# scripts were used to provide a bird’s-eye-view mode of 3D zoom, pan, and orbital display. In addition to basic 3D navigation tools, a first-person view of the scene was utilized to enable users to gain a walk-through experience while virtually inspecting the objects on the ground. For a fly-through experience, a drone view was offered to help users inspect objects from the air. The result was a multiplatform 3D visualization capable of displaying 3D models in LOD3, as well as providing user interfaces for exploring the scene using “on the ground” and “from the air” types of first person view interactions. Using the Unity3D game engine to visualize mixed sources of topographic data creates many opportunities to optimize large-scale topographic data use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gaming and Geospatial Information)

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