tad stach: research

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heart rate control in exergames
Although group activity can be motivating, it is often difficult for people of different physical abilities to exercise together. Physical activity in exergames is computer-mediated, making it possible to scale game difficulty to allow people of different fitness levels to compete. We propose using heart rate monitoring to scale in-game performance based on how closely a person adheres to her target heart rate zone.

publication:
Stach, T., Graham, T.C.N., Yim, J., and Rhodes, R. Heart Rate Control of Exercise Video Games, in Proc. of Graphics Interface, 125-132, 2009.

haptic feedback in exergames
The goal of exergames is to encourage people to be more physically active by combining entertainment and exercise. Although players control exergames using physical activity, the current gaming experience is far less physical than real-world exercise. We explore three ways that force-feedback (or haptics) can enhance exergames: by increasing immersion, helping to balance group exercise, and guiding people to more effective levels of physical activity.

publication:
Stach, T., and Graham, T.C.N. Exploring Haptic Feedback in Exergames, to apppear in Proc. INTERACT, 18 pages, 2011.

input in active games
Games involving physical activity have become popular in recent years. Input in these games is captured with a variety of devices such as accelerometers, cameras, and exercise equipment. This makes is difficult for programmers to deal with the diversity of devices. We propose a toolkit designed to simplify the development of active games, and make games more portable.

publications:
Brehmer, M., Graham, T.C.N., and Stach, T. Activate your GAIM: a Toolkit for Input in Active Games, in Proc. of FuturePlay, 2010.
Stach, T., Graham, T.C.N., Brehmer, M., and Hollatz, A. Classifying Input for Active Games, in Proc. of Advances in Computer Entertainment, 379-382, 2009.

target assitance in video games
Using pointing devices to interact with video games is becoming more common. However, it can be difficult for people with different skill levels to compete together. We explore using three target-assistance techniques to subtlety balance gameplay in target-based games.

publication:
Bateman, S., Mandryk, R., Stach, T., and Gutwin, C. Target Assistance for Subtly Balancing Competitive Play, in Proc. of CHI, 2011.

usability heuristics for games
Video games typically require constant interaction. In order for games to be successful, designers need to pay special attention to the usability of games. Currently, there are few formal methods for evaluating game usability. We propose a set of heuristics for usability evaluations of video games.

publications:
Pinelle, D., Wong, N., and Stach, T. Usability Heuristics for Networked Multiplayer Games, in Proc. of GROUP, 169- 178, 2009.
Pinelle, D., Wong, N., and Stach, T. Heuristic Evaluation for Games: Usability Priniciple for Video Game Design, in Proc. of CHI, 1453-1462, 2008.

rich user embodiment in groupware
Groupware systems allow people in different locations to interact together. Embodiments -- the visual representation of users in groupware environments -- typically reveal far less information than what is available in the real-world. We explore how to provide more information about groupware users through their embodiments.

publication:
Stach, T., Gutwin, C., Pinelle, D., and Irani, P. Improving Recognition and Characterization in Groupware with Rich Embodiments, in Proc. of CHI, 2007.