Heatcraft: playing with ingestible sensors via localised sensations

Ingestible sensors are digital devices that can measure the user’s body data after being swallowed and hence have great potential in medical use. Unfortunately, few studies have considered the playful experiences afforded by ingestible sensors. We believe that the use of localised sensations, such as those created by heat, to represent the data measured by ingestible sensors offers opportunities to support experiencing the body as play. To explore this opportunity, we introduce a two-player system called HeatCraft that uses an ingestible sensor to measure the users’ body temperature and employs thermal stimuli to provide feedback. Similar to open-ended games, HeatCraft allows players to decide when and what to do in order to know more about their body, facilitating playful experiences of exploration and discovery. With this work, we aim to inspire game designers and HCI researchers to consider localised sensations when designing playful and engaging experiences around ingestible sensors.