Virtual CSI: North Carolina State Grant Lets Games Recreate Crime Scenes

Interesting developments on a $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant to North Carolina State: Researchers plan to develop virtualized crime scenes with the help of 3D laser scans and the Unity gaming engine. The grant’s product will be called IC-CRIME, for Interdisciplinary Cyber-enabled Crime Reconstruction through Innovative Methodology and Engagement.

Here’s the key section from Reuters:

The scanners can capture millions of data points at a crime scene within a few minutes and recreate highly detailed virtual crime scenes.

“The game world will be embedded within a Web page also containing data in the form of text and 2D graphics,” said Dr. Michael Young, associate professor of computer science and an expert in serious gaming at NC State.

“We’ll be building an easy-to-use interface on top of the game environment that will allow CSIs and other investigators to link locations in the crime scene to external sources of data, such as hair and fiber databases, finger print images and investigator notes.”

Via Joystiq.

References:
Gaudiosi, J. (2009, Nov. 27). Videogames find ways to help real CSI solve crimes. [Online.] Retrieved Dec. 1, 2009 from http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5AQ0TR20091127

Christina Laun’s 100+ Places to Find Funding For Your Research

Kelly Sonora over at the Online Education Database dropped me an e-mail recently to discuss Christina Laun’s new article, 100+ Places to Find Funding For Your Research. I know many of the sources Laun mentions have funded research for educational video games in the past, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the MacArthur Foundation. Several other links are offered, and Laun’s list should prove a valuable resource to researchers, educators, and developers looking for a grant or other source of funding.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funds Wii-hab Research

Susan Jenks at Florida Today reports the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded $2 million in research grants to 12 teams in order to study the benefits of videogames for health.

At the University of Central Florida, for example, researchers will receive $200,000 over the next two years to develop a role-playing game for individuals diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence to allow them to practice skills in a virtual setting that might help prevent real-world relapses … University of Florida researchers in the College of Public Health and Health Professionals will test the impact of Sony Playstation2 game “Crazy Taxi” on the visual attention skills of the elderly, using a $100,000 grant.

Researchers mentioned in the article include Patricia Belchoir, a postdoc at UF; psychiatrist Marcia Verduin affiliated with UCF; and Clint Bowers, a psychology professor at UCF.

References:
Jenks, S. (2008, July 2). Video games used as therapy. Florida Today. [Online]. Retrieved July 2, 2008 from http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/BUSINESS/807020316/1006/news01

Fighting Cystic Fibrosis: Foundation Grants Fund Games for Health

Michael Thompson over at Ars Technica reports on grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that are funding games for health initiatives. In particular, Thompson reports the University of Vermont School of Medicine received almost $190,000 for a videogame to help Cystic Fibrosis patients. Dr. Peter Bingham is spearheading the grant.

An early form of Bingham’s game used teenagers with Cystic Fibrosis as test subjects; it had them using their breath to control the vertical position of an icon, with the goal of keeping the icon on a curvy road that scrolled by. While the game is a bit simplistic, Bingham is hoping to make it more elaborate with the help of the [Champlain College] Emergent Media Center team. “We know that eye-hand coordination can be improved by playing video games, but eye-breath coordination is something new,” Bingham stated. “With the help of some very creative patients with CF, we hope to devise a completely new kind of game that helps kids to connect with each other about breathing and puts CF patients more in charge of their own health.”

Thompson says the second round of funding from the foundation will bring its total funding toward games for health grants to $2 million. A new CFP will go out in January 2009.

References:
Thompson, M. (2008, June 25). Games for Health program explores gaming-fitness connection. Ars Technica. [Online.] Available: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080625-
health-foundation-provides-grant-money-to-game-study.html

US Dept. of Ed Funds Study of ‘Wii-hab’ Potential for Brain Injuries

Speaking of teen driver safety, Wesley Battles is one fortunate crash victim. The 16 year-old smacked into a tree, broke several bones, and suffered neck and brain injuries. He woke up in a hospital two days after the accident with paralysis on one side of his body. Wesley’s dad is Dr. Bruce Battles, a physician specializing in brain injury rehabilitation. Dr. Battles turned to the Nintendo Wii to help his son recuperate.

“When I first started it, I could barely hold down the controller to push the button,” said Wesley. “I actually had to use two hands to hold down the button.”

“After a week of just playing the Wii I could move all my arm and have full movement,” Wesley said.

His father believes the Wii helped strengthen his motor skills and cognitive reasoning.

“It’s amazing what a 16-year-old body can do with a positive attitude,” Bruce said.

Playing video games also made the rehab process fun — and gave him the chance to beat many of his favorite games …

Thanks in no small part to the successful “Wii-hab” experience with his son, Dr. Battles has received a grant from the US Dept. of Education to study effects of videogame therapy on patients with brain injuries. Dr. Battles is hoping to find the Wii games help brain injury patients “improve their range of motion, social skills, and improve short term memory.”

References:
Donatelli, E. (2008, February 27). Video game system helped teen quickly recover from paralyzing car crash injuries. [Online.] Retrieved February 27, 2008 from http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=7931844&nav=0RZF

Where the MacArthur Foundation Grant Money has Gone, So Far

Education Week has a nice article (registration required) on the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s $50 million initiative funding digital media and learning (including educational gaming research). A little less than half, about $23 million, has been funded so far to 36 grantees. Article author Andrew Trotter breaks down the expenditures:

• Examining how young people are changing as a result of digital media AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $6.2 million

• Exploring the development of new learning environments AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $8 million

• Studying how social and civic institutions could change in the future AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $4.8 million

• Helping build the field of research and development in youth and digital media AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $4 million

Constance Yowell, director of education for the MacArthur Foundation, is quoted extensively. Other prominent mentions include Sasha Barab over at Indiana (Quest Atlantis); Nichole Pinkard, director of technology, Center for Urban School Improvement, University of Chicago (Chicago charter schools and Remix World); Barry Joseph, director of the non-profit after school organization Global Kids (efforts in Teen Second Life); Katie Salen, director of the Institute of Play (New York City Game School); and Mizuko “Mimi” Ito, over at USC (ethnographic studies of digital media consumers).

Trotter mentions another project Salen is involved in:

Katie A. Salen, the director of the Institute of Play, in New York City, is a partner in two projects supported by MacArthur grants. One, led by game researcher Jim Ghee and involving a commercial game company, is creating an online, narrative game in which teenagers are game mechanics who learn to fix and modify broken games in a game-driven world.

I’m wondering if “Jim Ghee” is a reference to James Paul Gee?

Regardless, it’s a good article and well worth the read. The $50 million in grant funding from the MacArthur Foundation will no doubt continue to yield important findings on educational videogames and other components of digital media for years to come.

References:
Trotter, A. (2007, December 5). Projects probe new media’s role in changing the face of learning. Education Week, (27)14. 10.