The LoGaCulture team recently participated in the Instituto Superior Técnico Open Day that took place on April 19th in Lisbon. The project showcased its recent research developments to thousands of citizens who visited the science fair that day.
Represented by researchers Matteo Cappello and Mathilde Gouin, LoGaCulture joined the Interactive Technologies Institute’s stand, sharing the stage with the European projects DCitizens and Bauhaus of the Seas Sails. This event allowed visitors to engage with cultural probes — small analogic tools, such as postcards and paper maps, used to collect information about participants’ experiences — that have been developed to assist locative game development in cultural heritage sites, particularly concerning the case study in the Madeira Islands. “We brought the sensory maps and postcards we developed to show the visitors how LoGaCulture is using these tools to facilitate game development”, said Mathilde Gouin.
Additionally, the team also demonstrated an elicitation board game under development. Designed as a research tool to elicit local knowledge and gather personal stories about the Levadas, this game takes players on a trip through the Island of Madeira and its natural and cultural landscapes.
The participation of LoGaCulture in the IST Open Day reinforces its ambition to engage with society throughout the different stages of the project. “The visitors were attracted to our stand because of our postcards but soon were intrigued when they discovered our methodology”, shared Matteo Cappello.