ATLAS Institute PhD candidate Peter Gyory passed his comprehensive exam on August 18. His work on his dissertation, “Developing Tools to Support Approachable Game Controller Design,” is overseen by committee members, Professor Ellen Do, Associate Professor Amy Banic, Associate Professor Joel Swanson, Michael Rivera, Associate Professor Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) and Professor Mark Gross.
During his exam, Gyory outlined his work in game controller design. His research goal is to expand tangible user interface research by exploring the design space of alternative controller (Alt Ctrl) games. In addition, Gyory wants to develop tools that make the creation of Alt Ctrl games more approachable for those without much physical computing experience. During his exam, Gyory showcased his projects, HOT SWAP and Tinycade, game controller platforms that can be reconfigured to support multiple games. He also outlined his planned work in developing an Alt Ctrl toolkit called "Beholder Observables," a platform implemented with computer vision that requires only a smartphone to use it.
"I hope my work will make physical computing more approachable to those without advanced fabrication tools," Gyory says.
Prior to working on his PhD, Gyory received a BS in Game Design and Development from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2016 and an MS in Creative Technology and Design from the ATLAS Institute.