Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can be used as technology for coupling the physical and the virtual world in ubiquitous computing environments. In this paper, we show that RFID is also a very interesting option for building augmented real-world games. First, we describe several advantages of employing RFID technology for the development of gaming applications. Then we present the Smart Ji...

This paper presents a novel encryption-less algorithm to enhance security in transmission of data in networks. The algorithm uses an intuitively simple idea of a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ to break the transformed data into multiple parts where these parts form the pieces of the puzzle. Then these parts are packaged into packets and sent to the receiver. A secure and efficient mechanism is provided to con...

Spatial reasoning ability is enhanced by spatial activities and spatial language. Spatial games (e.g., block building, assembling jigsaw puzzles) are often accompanied by spatial language, which, in turn, is often accompanied by co-speech gesture. Here we investigate the effects of spatial language and gesture in the context of puzzle play in improving preschool children’s puzzle assembly abili...

Using memoization and various other optimization techniques, the number of dissections of the n × n square into n polyominoes of size n is computed for n ≤ 8. On this task our method outperforms Donald Knuth’s Algorithm X with Dancing Links. The number of jigsaw sudoku puzzle solutions is computed for n ≤ 7. For every jigsaw sudoku puzzle polyomino cover with n ≤ 6 the size of its smallest crit...

We show that jigsaw puzzles, edge-matching puzzles, and polyomino packing puzzles are all NP-complete. Furthermore, we show direct equivalences between these three types of puzzles: any puzzle of one type can be converted into an equivalent puzzle of any other type.

The Puzzle Project is an interactive software system that solves jigsaw puzzles. The voice interface includes speech synthesis and word recognition. The attributes of the puzzle pieces are determined using image processing techniques and wavelet decomposition. Two algorithms are used to solve the puzzles: an expert system and fuzzy logic. This paper describes the steps required to find the solu...

In this paper, we present a novel encryptionless algorithm to enhance security in transmission of data in networks. The algorithm uses an intuitively simple idea of a “jigsaw puzzle” to break the transformed data into multiple parts where these parts form the pieces of the puzzle. Then these parts are packaged into packets and sent to the receiver. A secure and efficient mechanism is provided t...

We consider apictorial edge-matching puzzles, in which the goal is to arrange a collection of puzzle pieces with colored edges so that the colors match along the edges of adjacent pieces. We devise an algebraic representation for this problem and provide conditions under which it exactly characterizes a puzzle. Using the new representation, we recast the combinatorial, discrete problem of solvi...

We consider the problem of reconstructing graphs or labeled graphs from neighborhoods of a given radius r. Special instances of this problem include DNA shotgun assembly, neural network reconstruction, and assembling random jigsaw puzzles. We provide some necessary and some sufficient conditions for correct recovery both in combinatorial terms and for some generative models including random lab...