This week we successfully completed our final presentation. 🎉🎉🎉
Belows are photos from our final presentation. 📸📸”Cheese!!”
You can watch it using the link below (the link can also be found in the Media page).
The full presentation starts at the 0:43:35 mark in the video below.
https://stream.etc.cmu.edu/projects/2026-semester-1/finals/day1/
Takeaways
As we wrap up this project, two key ideas stand out: “everything can be a controller” and “clarity through simplicity.” These principles not only shaped our design decisions but also changed how we think about interaction in mixed reality.
Can Everything Be a Controller?
Short answer: yes.
In our experience, we transformed everyday objects—food cans, cheese, magnets, even a flower pot—into interactive controllers. What started as a playful experiment quickly became one of the most powerful aspects of our design.
Through this process, we began to understand why this approach resonates so strongly with players:
- Immersion through physicality: MR allows players to feel the weight, shape, and even the implied temperature of real objects. This tangible connection deepens the sense of presence in the experience.
- Intuitive interaction: By grounding interactions in real-world logic—like grabbing cheese from a fridge—we eliminate the need for complicated tutorials. Players already know what to do.
- Delight through surprise: There’s something inherently engaging about using familiar objects in unexpected ways, like turning a magnet into a “gun.” These moments create surprise, curiosity, and joy.
This project reinforced a simple but powerful idea: interaction design doesn’t have to be limited to the given device. Sometimes, the best controller is already in your hand.
