MOFA
2021 - 2023, at Reality Design Lab
Design and Development / Botao Amber Hu, Yilan Tao, Yuchen Zhang and Sizheng Hao
Research / Botao Amber Hu, Yilan Elan Tao, Rem Rungu Lin, Samuli Laato, Yue Li
Keywords / Mixed Reality, Game, Speculative Design, Research Through Design
Contribution / UX design, game design, empirical study, research.
In designing the MR game series, I was responsible for developing the user flow, user experience, and delivering the UI, while also contributing to the overall game design.
In subsequent research, I played a significant role in the experimental design, data collection, and data analysis, and provided key intellectual insights for findings and discussions.
Overview
As the prevalence of Mixed Reality (MR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) grows, the context of collocated MR gaming is evolving from private, controlled environments to spontaneous, public settings, echoing speculative fiction scenarios. Everyday locales are thus transformed into potential gaming stages, blurring the line between designated play areas and the public realm. This evolution prompts the need for game designs that cater to all present individuals, including HMD players ("Wizards") and non-HMD bystanders ("Muggles"). Addressing this scantily researched field, we developed the Multiplayer Omnipresent Fighting Arena (MOFA) framework, utilizing device asymmetry and role diversification as affordance to actively engage every participant. MOFA's MR game prototypes—The Training, The Duel, The Duck, The Dragon, and the Ghost—demonstrate through empirical studies indicate that MOFA involving "Muggles" strategically not only enhances social engagement but also diminishes social awkwardness, leading to a shared reality that is more inclusive and entertaining in public space.
MOFA was honored as the "Best Interactivity Demo" at CHI 2023 and "Best In The Show" at SIGGRAPH 2024.
Credits
App
Concept Designer: Botao Amber Hu
Interaction Designer: Botao Amber Hu
User Experience Designer: Yilan Tao
Software Engineer: Yuchen Zhang
Technical Artist: Sizheng Hao
Research
Research Lead: Botao Amber Hu
Research Assistant: Yilan Tao
Academic Writing: Rem Rungu Lin
Research Instruction: Yue Li, Samuli Laato
Publications
- Botao Amber Hu, Rem RunGu Lin, Yilan Elan Tao, Samuli Laato, and Yue Li*. 2025. Towards Immersive Mixed Reality Street Play: Understanding Co-located Bodily Play with See-through Head-Mounted Displays in Public Spaces. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 9, 7 (Oct. 2025), 1–46. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757679
- Botao Amber Hu, Yilan Elan Tao, Rem Rungu Lin, and Yue Li. 2024. On Intent Inclusivity in Spontaneous Cross Realities. 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct). Workshop Paper. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct64951.2024.00046
- Botao Amber Hu, Rem RunGu Lin, Yilan Elan Tao, Samuli Laato, and Yue Li*. 2025. Towards Immersive Mixed Reality Street Play: Understanding Co-located Bodily Play with See-through Head-Mounted Displays in Public Spaces. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 9, 7 (Oct. 2025), 1–46. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757679
- Botao Hu, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao, and Yilan Tao. MOFA: Exploring Asymmetric Mixed Reality Design Strategy for Co-located Multiplayer Between Handheld and Head-mounted Augmented Reality. Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Hamburg Germany: ACM, Apr. 2023, pp. 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3583935. 🏆 Jury's Choice for Best Interactivity Demo.
- Botao Hu, Yuchen Zhang, Sizheng Hao, and Yilan Tao. InstantCopresence: A Spatial Anchor Sharing Methodology for Co-located Multiplayer Handheld and Headworn AR. 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct), Sydney, Australia: IEEE, Oct. 2023, pp. 762–763. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct60411.2023.00165. 🏆 Honorable Mention for Best Demo Award.
Media and Talks
SIGGRAPH Blog: Immersive Experiences for All Environments [→]