{"id":183,"date":"2025-10-27T19:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T19:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/?p=183"},"modified":"2025-10-30T18:10:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:10:45","slug":"dev-blog-week-8-2025-10-20-%ef%bc%8d-2025-10-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/dev-blog-week-8-2025-10-20-%ef%bc%8d-2025-10-24\/","title":{"rendered":"Dev Blog: Week 8 (2025\/10\/20 \uff0d 2025\/10\/24)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>In Week 8, Team ReNUSHU focused on refining gameplay logic and responding to faculty feedback. We improved the Heel Raise game\u2019s visual clarity and cognitive depth, explored new directions for our third mini-game, and prepared multiple builds for an upcoming clinical playtest.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Refining Design Through Feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Following our Halves presentation, this week was dedicated to <strong>iterating on our existing prototypes<\/strong> and addressing valuable feedback from both ETC faculty and our collaborators at Magnes AG and AHN. The faculty praised the strong integration between the smart shoes and the PT interface, noting the system\u2019s solid technical foundation. However, they also raised key questions about how our game mechanics connect with physical actions, how players receive feedback when performing movements incorrectly, and how our visuals appeal to our target demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These insights encouraged us to reflect on <strong>how therapeutic movement can feel purposeful and engaging<\/strong>\u2014not just functional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Iterating on Heel Raise Gameplay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Heel Raise (Butterfly Watching)<\/strong> game was central to this week\u2019s iteration. Many felt that the original \u201ccounting butterflies\u201d concept, while visually calm, risked becoming repetitive and cognitively shallow. In response, the team decided to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Improve visual clarity<\/strong> \u2013 making the butterflies larger and more distinct to ensure accessibility for older users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experiment with an alternative \u201cfind-and-spot\u201d gameplay<\/strong> \u2013 a more exploratory variation where players lift their heels to reveal hidden details in the scene, encouraging visual scanning and memory.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>These updates aim to preserve the game\u2019s relaxing tone while giving the exercise clearer cognitive purpose and better visual readability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Art &amp; Visual Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In parallel with gameplay iteration, our art team made significant progress on <strong>asset production and environment design<\/strong>. The visual tone continues to evolve toward a <strong>warm, nature-inspired aesthetic<\/strong>, reflecting our goal of creating a setting that feels peaceful, inviting, and therapeutic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are some early visual explorations for the Butterfly Watching scene and environment props:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cut-scene-demo.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Early visual exploration for the mini game selection.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/art-progress-week-8.png 1905w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Campground environment prototypes developed for the \u201cAnimal Picnic Raid\u201d game.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These assets establish the visual foundation for the cohesive \u201coutdoor recovery\u201d theme that connects all of ReNUSHU\u2019s mini-games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deepening Collaboration with Magnes AG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In our latest meeting, <strong>Conrad and his team at Magnes AG<\/strong> shared their excitement about the project\u2019s direction and provided critical guidance on gameplay scalability and hardware integration. Together, we examined how <strong>physical therapists may prefer varying levels of supervision<\/strong>\u2014some exercises designed for independent use, others requiring close monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>Heel Raises<\/strong>, Conrad recommended focusing on <strong>repetition- and duration-based tasks<\/strong>, where longer holds or sustained sets can be tied to meaningful in-game reactions. He also encouraged us to explore <strong>memory-based cognitive challenges<\/strong>, such as spotting differences between scenes after several repetitions, or identifying subtle visual changes to train focus and recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From a technical perspective, we learned that the NuShu shoes do not currently maintain a <strong>world coordinate system<\/strong>, which makes precise positional tracking for \u201creactive stepping\u201d gameplay complex. Our programming team has begun investigating potential solutions\u2014such as recalibrating using step states or simplifying the game\u2019s spatial logic\u2014to make the \u201canimal picnic raid\u201d experience function reliably within Unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exploring the Third Gameplay Direction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside ongoing work on Heel Raises and Reactive Stepping, the team revisited the concept for our <strong>third mini-game<\/strong>, originally inspired by tandem walking. After extended discussion, we concluded that the \u201clog bridge\u201d design contained inherent gameplay limitations and did not effectively encourage the desired movement patterns. Two promising alternative ideas emerged:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A Subway Surfer\u2013like experience<\/strong> focusing on lateral movement and agility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An Alpine Coaster concept<\/strong> where players use heel pressure as a brake, connecting lower-limb control to a fun, momentum-based challenge.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Both directions show potential for balancing therapeutic training with engaging play, and will be further explored in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Milestone: Our First PT Playtester<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, we officially connected with our <strong>first physical therapist playtester<\/strong>, <strong>Shani<\/strong>, who will help us evaluate gameplay clarity, comfort, and engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-1024x541.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-1024x541.png 1024w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-1536x811.png 1536w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-164658-2048x1081.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Team ReNUSHU meeting with Shani, our first PT playtester.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We scheduled our first <strong>playtest session for October 29<\/strong>, aiming to test three versions of our current games:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The updated <strong>Butterfly Watching<\/strong> heel-raise game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The new <strong>Find-and-Spot<\/strong> variation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>playable build of the Reactive Stepping (Animal Picnic Raid)<\/strong> game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This collaboration marks an important step forward in validating our designs with real clinical insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preparing for Upcoming Playtests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We also confirmed a <strong>playtest session with physical therapist Shani<\/strong> scheduled for <strong>October 29 (Wednesday)<\/strong>. Our goal for the coming week is to finalize three playable builds for this session:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The improved <strong>Butterfly Watching<\/strong> version of the Heel Raise game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The new <strong>\u201cFind-and-Spot\u201d<\/strong> variation of the Heel Raise game.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>playtestable version of the Reactive Stepping (Animal Picnic Raid)<\/strong> game.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This playtest will help us evaluate comfort, clarity, and engagement from a clinical perspective and guide how ReNUSHU continues bridging therapeutic value with playful design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Week 8 reaffirmed our commitment to designing games that are <strong>medically grounded yet emotionally resonant<\/strong>. As we refine visual clarity, cognitive structure, and motion feedback, we continue to move toward our vision of making rehabilitation intuitive, motivating, and joyful\u2014<br><strong>From Rehab to Play, From Play to Progress.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Week 8, Team ReNUSHU focused on refining gameplay logic and responding to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions\/215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/renushu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}