A series of projects exploring the theme park as a microcosm for entertainment computing, including developing new forms of interactive thrill ride controlled by biosensing, broadcasting ride experiences to spectators, and new approaches to collaborative souvenir production.
- Uncomfortable Interactions (Benford, Greenhalgh, Walker, Giannachi, Marshall, Rodden, Proceedings of CHI 2012) explores the deliberate use of discomfort to create interactions that are more entertaining, enlightening or foster social bonding. Identified four primacy aspects of discomfort, visceral, cultural, control and intimacy. Considers how discomfort may be embedded into an overall experience and also explores ethical justifications and issues. Winner of a CHI 2012 best paper award.
- Uncomfortable User Experience (Benford, Greenhalgh, Walker, Giannachi, Marshall, Rodden) is a condensed version of the Uncomfortable Interactions paper above that featured as the cover article in the September 2013 issue of Communications of the ACM.
- Automics: souvenir generating photoware for theme parks (Durrant, Rowland, Kirk, Benford, Fischer, McAuley, Proceedings of CHI 2011) describes the design and evaluation of the Automics souvenir system that combines visitors own photos within those of fellow group members alongside images from on-ride photo systems, enabling people to annotate and caption them and then create individual photostories of their ride experiences. Winner of a CHI 2011 best paper award.
- Breath Control of Amusement Rides (Marshall, Rowland, Egglestone, Benford, Walker, McAuley, Proceedings of CHI 2011). Describes a study of a prototype breath controlled amusement ride in the form of a bucking bronco and proposes tactics for using breathing to create thrilling rides.
- The Gas Mask: A Probe for Exploring Fearsome Interactions (Marshall, Walker, Benford,Tomlinson, Egglestone, Reeves, Brundell, Tennent, Cranwell, Harter, Longhurst, Proceedings of alt.chi 2011) describes the design of a breath-sensing and Wi-Fi enables gas mask as a technology probe for exploring fearsome interactions.
- Performing Thrill: Designing Telemetry Systems and Spectator Interfaces for Amusement Rides (Schnadelbach, Rennick Egglestone, Reeves, Benford, Walker and Wright, Proceedings of CHI 2008) studies a specific spectator interface (a wearable telemetry system for fairground rides that conveyed video, audio, heart-rate and acceleration data to large public screens) showing how it reconfigured the relationships between riders, spectators and ride operators and raising the need for selective and careful revealing of an individuals experience to the public.
