SwageXR: Designing Gamified AR Applications for Industrial Training

Abstract

This paper presents a case study describing the design of SwageXR, an augmented reality (AR) application that gamifies a tubing assembly exercise. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the field of extended reality (XR) applications by providing a case study of a novel design process based on an existing framework by Gilardi et al. 

Design needs and requirements were gathered using a contextual design approach and qualitative research through interviews with training course instructors as well as a workshop involving them. The contextual design approach involved the PI taking part in the training course as one of the trainees to observe and build understanding of the taught practical content and the context in which the learning happened. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with 4 training instructors, with results indicating preferred course content to digitise, early concepts for gamification, and the storyline of the gamified content with respect to existing training. Using the data and experience gained from the contextual design approach and interviews, a paper prototype of the gamified AR application was developed, and feedback was obtained from the company technical director. The paper prototype and feedback were used as a basis for developing a 3D prototype in VR using ShapesXR. This led to a virtual reality (VR) workshop involving the technical director and training manager of the company where the 3D prototype was demonstrated and discussed. The workshop resulted in the flow of the overall application being refined including the storyline, gamification, training, and challenges. The design process aims to facilitate the development of a coded working prototype for SwageXR, with gamification elements such as score, time-based challenges and leaderboards. An initial experience playtest with course trainees will then be possible to gain insight on engagement levels and trainee attitudes about the initial game experience. 

The main outcome of this research is a design approach that tries to address the gap outlined by Krauß et al., the approach makes use of rehearsal techniques and virtual reality to provide context for AR application design.