Xdigit: An Arithmetic Kinect Game to Enhance Math

Difficulty learning math is a common and known problem among children throughout the ages. The way of teaching and learning math has remained relatively the same in education. However, with the rise of portable devices; tablets and smart-phones, and motion-sensing controller such as the Microsoft Kinect, Nintendo WiiMote and the Playstation Move, people have shown huge interested and motivation to develop new and interactive methods for teaching. Being inspired by this trend, we created an interactive, gesture-controlled arithmetic math game, Xdigit, using the Kinect to enhance and support math learning experiences for children. In this paper, we will first present a known and common issue of children having difficulty learning arithmetic math and the possible consequences, and how we intend to provide a solution. Second, we will introduce our Kinect math game, Xdigit, followed by an explanation of the core game mechanics and the technology. Third, the user interface is explained and the available gestures to control and play the game. Next, the actual gameplay is presented using various examples, with level descriptions. Finally, we will present an in-depth explanation of the Kinect Gesture System we developed to determine gestures for our game. ACM Classification