Movement-based design methods have gained increased attention across various research fields and practices, particularly in interaction design. By engaging the body in movement, these methods have the potential to explore a richer, more intuitive, and immersive user experience. A recent project MeCaMinD1 brought together researchers from interaction and sports design to explore, collect, and document movement-based methods and make them practically useful across domains. The methods were explored through a series of workshops, furthering the team’s understanding of their use and practical applicability. This understanding was compiled into a set of design cards that we present here. We discuss the experience of using the resulting cards in movement-based design sessions. We found that while the cards are mostly used in designing, planning, and preparing sessions, they also function as support during the design sessions, used by both facilitators and participants. Based on a final ideation session with both novice and experienced facilitators, we sketch ways to support managing the cards during sessions, integrating them with movement and physical action.

This paper investigates the relations between the embodiment of virtual agents and the sense of social presence in virtual reality (VR) for rowing simulation. We carried out observations and an experimental study to investigate the role of embodied agents in social presence. We developed an embodied coxswain and set up an experimental study with two RP3 rowing machines, VR headsets, and various hardware and software components. Twenty-two participants tested the system under two conditions: with an embodied coxswain and with a non-embodied agent. Experiment results showed a significant increase in perceived social presence in the VR between participants when rowing together with the embodied coxswain. Our findings illustrate the challenges and benefits of more realistic coxswain representations in VR rowing and pave the path for further exploration into the virtual agent characteristics in other sports that can enhance social presence for colocated participants in VR settings.

In this paper we present a design space for haptic feedback in sports, that builds on an existing framework of interaction technology and sports. The design space allows to systematically chart applications of haptic displays for sports and physical activity, and, accordingly, also to structure evidence for design decisions. Existing and future work mapped into the design space can lead to a body of evidence that forms a basis for design guidelines on haptic displays in sports. We illustrate the design space suggested with five case studies on different types of sports. There, the applications are mapped into the dimensions of the design space, and design rationales and validation are addressed. We conclude with lessons learned and our research agenda for the design of haptic feedback applications in sports.

In this paper, we use self-determination theory and its related mini-theories to investigate the influence of sport data on sports experience and motivation in sports. First, we reflect on the use of technology in sports and show how sport data thwarts and promotes motivation in sports. Second, we argue that human-computer interaction (HCI) has been too narrowly focused on the 'performance' aspect of sport data. We argue for a more liberal take on sport data, showing that it also relates to motivation in sports through basic human needs. By bridging SportsHCI studies with the insights we gain from self-determination theory, we uncover the interwoven relations between the objective measures that sports technology provides and their motivational aspects for athletes. Our paper ends with five emerging points for attention for SportsHCI that we think can pave the way towards a more holistic approach to considering sport data for motivation in sports.

Technology allows runners to obtain information on their running parameters and gain insights to self-reflect on their performance and technique. One of the higher levels of self reflection is transformative self-reflection, which engages runners in a thought process to adjust future efforts. Observing one-self in a video as well as visualizing running parameters have shown benefits in supporting self-reflection; combining the two thus presents an interesting research opportunity. This paper presents the process of designing a dashboard where abstract visuals are combined with drone video to promote runners’ self-reflection. A user centered approach was employed to select the parameters, design the visuals, and evaluate the dashboard. Evaluation using TSRI substantiated the dashboard’s capabilities to provide runners valuable insights and support their running data exploration. Interviews highlighted the dashboard’s potential in promoting self-reflection and provided design considerations for future iterations.

Modern sensing technologies and data analysis methods usher in a new era for sports training and practice. Hidden insights can be uncovered and interactive training environments can be created by means of data analysis. We present a system to support volleyball training which makes use of Inertial Measurement Units, a pressure sensitive display floor, and machine learning techniques to automatically detect relevant behaviours and provides the user with the appropriate information. While working with trainers and amateur athletes, we also explore potential applications that are driven by automatic action recognition, that contribute various requirements to the platform. The first application is an automatic video-tagging protocol that marks key events (captured on video) based on the automatic recognition of volleyball-specific actions with an unweighted average recall of 78.71% in the 10-fold cross-validation setting with convolution neural network and 73.84% in leave-one-subject-out cross-validation setting with active data representation method using wearable sensors, as an exemplification of how dashboard and retrieval systems would work with the platform. In the context of action recognition, we have evaluated statistical functions and their transformation using active data representation besides raw signal of IMUs sensor. The second application is the “bump-set-spike” trainer, which uses automatic action recognition to provide real-time feedback about performance to steer player behaviour in volleyball, as an example of rich learning environments enabled by live action detection. In addition to describing these applications, we detail the system components and architecture and discuss the implications that our system might have for sports in general and for volleyball in particular.

Building on insights from the NordiCHI 2022 workshop, this edition delves deeper into the role of social drones to support movement within the context of health, well-being, sports, and play. Our aim is to discuss the diverse challenges associated with this application by engaging in dialogue with researchers from diverse fields of science. By bringing together a diverse cohort, our goal is to facilitate discussions centered around their submissions, that illustrate the use of drones to support movement, in order to develop a roadmap that identifies key research avenues while incorporating various relevant perspectives related to the use case. Ultimately, our objective is to address key challenges, establish research avenues to support a paradigm shift, and foster connections with researchers to promote the development of drones that enhance movement related experiences, thus advancing the understanding and adoption of social drones.

Cyclists can experience psychological flow while cycling. Experiencing flow simultaneously is foundational to reaching shared flow in groups, which has unique and highly desirable characteristics. Notably, in research on affective computing and cycling experience, very little is known about flow in duos of cyclists. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates if and how simultaneous flow (SF) during cycling experiences can be measured via sensor data and supported by personalizing assistance levels of e-bike motors. We collected heart rate, cadence, and position data, as well as self-reports of individual flow, from 10 duos of elderly cyclists, a demographic with increasing e-bike usage. Our XGBoost and Shapley values analysis shows that SF can be identified in heart rate, cadence, and position data. The personalization of motor assistance seemed to disrupt SF in our sample, possibly because our duos were well-adjusted already. Our findings support the development of real-time, objective identification of SF, which helps expert evaluations and biofeedback systems. Altogether, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to offer a valuable and innovative approach for measuring and supporting SF.

The field of Sports Human-Computer Interaction (SportsHCI) investigates interaction design to support a physically active human being. Despite growing interest and dissemination of SportsHCI literature over the past years, many publications still focus on solving specific problems in a given sport. We believe in the benefit of generating fundamental knowledge for SportsHCI more broadly to advance the field as a whole. To achieve this, we aim to identify the grand challenges in SportsHCI, which can help researchers and practitioners in developing a future research agenda. Hence, this paper presents a set of grand challenges identified in a five-day workshop with 22 experts who have previously researched, designed, and deployed SportsHCI systems. Addressing these challenges will drive transformative advancements in SportsHCI, fostering better athlete performance, athlete-coach relationships, spectator engagement, but also immersive experiences for recreational sports or exercise motivation, and ultimately, improve human well-being.

Training Load Management (TLM) is crucial for achieving optimal athletic performance and preventing chronic sports injuries. Current sports trackers provide runners with data to manage their training load. However, little is known about the extent and the way sports trackers are used for TLM. We conducted a survey (N=249) and interviews (N=24) with runners to understand sports tracker use in TLM practices. We found that runners possess some understanding of training load and generally trust their trackers to provide accurate training load-related data. Still, they hesitate to strictly follow trackers’ suggestions in managing their training load, often relying on their intuitions and body signals to determine and adapt training plans. Our findings contribute to SportsHCI research by shedding light on how sports trackers are incorporated into TLM practices and providing implications for developing trackers that better support runners in managing their training load.

COVID-19 impacted the way we live and experience sports. At various times during the pandemic, it was virtually impossible to meaningfully engage in team sports. In this paper, we present a system built on the basis of the existing SixFeet platform, a corona-safe, multi-player sports installation that enables its users to play sports at a safe social distance while interacting in a shared physical space. SixFeet consists of interactive LED stations that are equipped with proximity sensors that record the presence of a player. It uses this information to steer players along safe running paths on the playing field. We designed training exercises for SixFeet that embody relevant sport-specific skills. We did this in the context of field hockey. In a use study, we investigated the technical performance and user experience of SixFeet. Results show that participants kept a safe social distance; that SixFeet-exercises were significantly more enjoyable than ‘traditional’ corona-safe exercises and that SixFeet-enabled exercises better supported the training of sport-specific skills than ‘traditional’ corona-safe exercises. With this study, we show how a simple low-cost tool can be designed and implemented to support the training of sport-specific skills, especially in pandemic times.

Sports is greatly valued both for its internal benefits (e.g., joy and fulfilment) and its external benefits (e.g., physical health). Still, many people struggle to find or uphold the motivation to practice sports. To ameliorate this issue, researchers in the field of SportsHCI have been actively exploring various gamification strategies. In this contribution, we critically reflect on the 'what', 'how', and 'why' of gamification in sports. We argue against the use of gamification for 'quick wins', instead we argue that gamification can only be truly successful if it supports the spontaneous, self-sustained, and autotelic propensity in people to play sports.

Hand hygiene became one of the key measures to prevent COVID-19 infection and the spread of the virus. This, however, is challenging with young children (e.g., primary school). Primary school teachers spend a lot of time supervising and helping children to wash their hands and making sure they wash their hands regularly and correctly. Educating children of the need for handwashing and training them to wash hands for 20 s alone does not motivate young children enough to wash their hands without supervision. We developed WashWall, an interactive smart mirror that uses gamification to motivate young children to wash their hands in an engaging way. We deployed WashWall in a primary school and conducted a user study (N = 14) to evaluate its practicality, effectiveness, and user experience. Results show that children engaged in the activity for a significantly longer duration, enjoyed playing WashWall, and learned the game easily and fast.

In this paper, we highlight how including technology, movement or play can boost a design process but with unbalanced amounts can also hamper the process. We provide a set of examples where we miscalculated the amount of technology, movement, or play that was needed in a design activity in such a way that it became counterproductive and for each example mention possible adaptations. Finally, we highlight three existing approaches that can balance the overabundance of technology, movement, and play in design processes: activity-centered design, somaesthetic design, and perspective-changing movement-based design.

The global COVID-19 pandemic left few facets of our lives unchanged, including the possibility to play organised sports. Many gyms and sports clubs had to shut down due to social distancing measures, which resulted in reduced physical activity. Co-located group sports that promote social interaction and fun became almost impossible. This lack of physical interaction combined with social isolation and confinement have shown negative impacts on physical and mental well-being of people (for example, lack of motivation, anxiety, low immunity, low academic performance, negative mood and feelings) especially in children and young adults. Recent research therefore recommends exploring more creative approaches that allow physical activities during a pandemic, especially the ones that increase social interaction and engagement and allow users to share the same physical space. Towards this, we developed SixFeet, a novel digital-physical sports platform that allows its participants to play rigorous, collaborative sports – at a six feet distance. SixFeet ensures that the players are 1.5m away from each other at all times without them noticing it or without them having to worry about the social distancing measures. We developed a prototypical implementation of SixFeet and conducted a pilot study to evaluate its technical feasibility and practicality as well as obtain a first insight into user experience with the platform. Results show that participants never came within 1.5 meters of one another, felt connected nevertheless and were physically exerted. This paper presents the design and architecture of SixFeet, results of the preliminary user study, and a discussion on the versatility of SixFeet in accommodating training for different sports in times of a pandemic.

The present study examined the kinematics of maximal effort sprint running, mapping the relations among a person's maximal running speed, maximum running acceleration and the distance coverable in a certain amount of time by this person. Thirty-three participants were recruited to perform a simple sprint task. Both forward and backward running were considered. Participants' position, velocity and acceleration data were obtained using a Local Positioning Measurement system. Participants' speed-acceleration profiles turned out to be markedly non-linear. To account for these non-linear patterns, we propose a new macroscopic model on the kinematics of sprint running. Second, we examined whether target distance was of influence on the evolution of participants' running speeds over time. Overall, no such effect on running velocity was present, except for a 'finish-line effect'. Finally, we studied how variation in individuals' maximum running velocities and accelerations related to differences in their action boundaries. The findings are discussed in the context of affordance-based control in running to catch fly balls.

With this monograph we introduce a new, systematic taxonomy of Sports Interaction Technology (Sports ITech) that defines a design space of existing and future work in this domain.We set the taxonomy in a context of our view on sport science and sports practice, target outcomes of sports and the underlying factors influencing them, and the role that sports technology plays to support sports science and practice.In that setting we systematically build and illustrate a taxonomy for the design space for Sports ITech as a sub-area of sports technologies, with specific attention for the adequate inclusion of knowledge from the sports

This paper presents design work and empirical work, exploring a novel way of steering player behaviour and performance in sports, called 'coaxing'. We propose that athletic performance might be influenced by tricking players into thinking that their athletic abilities are different from what they really are. We approach this proposition from three different angles. First, we use related work to theoretically ground the concept of coaxing in literature. Second, we take a research-through-design approach to illustrate the potential of coaxing for sports practice, specifically volleyball. Third, we carried out an experimental study to shed light on the effectiveness of coaxing, also in the context of volleyball. For the experimental study, we explored the idea of coaxing by means of an augmented ball-catching task. For every participant, we quantified their ability to intercept fly balls and presented them with visualisations that either overstated or understated this ability; in the expectation that this would impact how they acted in the ball-catching task. While the effects of coaxing failed to reach significance, data suggest that coaxing might yet be a viable form of steering player behaviour. Contrary to our hypothesis, participants whose abilities had been understated mostly outperformed their counterparts. We discuss the particularities of the current findings and their implications for sports practice. We conclude with practical and theoretical recommendations to further develop the concept of coaxing.

In 2021, the International Olympic Committee ventured virtual space by launching their first ever Olympic Virtual Series - featuring virtual baseball, cycling, rowing, sailing and motor racing. Interestingly, all these virtual events take strongly after their physical counterparts. Which begs the question: Where are the massively popular esports games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Dota?-What do the Olympic Virtual Series have that these popular video games do not? Here, we argue for the inclusion of esports within the Olympic program. In many respects, esports "act" and "behave" just like traditional sports. We argue that esports and traditional sports share many of the same values, like the values of meritocracy, competition, fair play, and the value of having a "level playing field". Yet, in esports, many of these values remain underappreciated, losing out to negative values such as physical inactivity and game-addiction. To preserve what is worth preserving, we borrow from Value Sensitive Design to ameliorate the design-tensions that are foregrounded in esports. Thereby, paving possible ways toward the inclusion of esports in the Olympic program. Ultimately, the question for the IOC should not be "does it look like 'real sport', as we know it?", but rather: are they sporting, rule-led, and fair activities worth preserving and setting an example for a new digitally savvy generation?