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BYTE MARKS
'Pacman' takes a real-life turn, thanks to Singapore
By Burt Lum
During the early '80s, when personal computers were emerging from the garage, video games like "Pacman" and "Pong" were played on game consoles.
Those consoles were a far cry from the Playstations and Xboxes of today. But those games and what they were played on ushered in an era of gaming bigger in revenue than the movie industry today. There seems to be no sign of this industry slowing down. Games are now being run on PDAs, cell phones, stand-alone units and now, wearable computers.
A research group at the National University of Singapore has created what appears to be the latest integration of role-playing games and mobile computing, the "Human Pacman."
Details can be found at mixedreality.nus.edu.sg/research-HP-infor.htm.
According to the FAQ (frequently asked questions), the project was financed by the Singapore military.
The virtual-reality aspects of the "Human Pacman" have obvious battlefield applications, but for now, let's stick to the fun stuff.
With available technology, the team integrated wireless local area networking, Bluetooth networking, GPS, inertia sensors, head-mounted displays and wearable computing and game software to create a version of Pacman that immerses the player into the reality of Pacman.
The players run around a maze or predefined playing field in physical space, eating virtual cookies and avoid getting eaten by ghosts.
Players see the cookies and ghosts via their head-mounted displays as they maneuver around the course. A third character, the Helper, assists with cues and audio signals.
The game is beginning to catch on and spread beyond the Singapore campus.
Sightings of the "Human Pacman" have been made on the streets of New York City, www.pacmanhattan.com. The Web site shows how all the technology is built and worn by players.
Obviously miniaturization will benefit the players, but at this stage, it demonstrates how gaming has the potential of moving the player from the seated position into one of direct participation. For a refresher on the subtleties of playing "Pacman," see www.ebaumsworld.com/pacman.html.
It's playable on your PC, and you don't have to get up from your seat. ;-)
