PhD Design Research Project
RMIT University, School of Design.

2K-Reality: Designing a Compliant Sports Augmentation for Pickup Basketball.

2K-Reality is an Amplified Reality system that blends the NBA 2K videogame series with real pickup basketball. Installed next to a pickup basketball court, 2K-Reality invites people to actuate a iPad-based digital audio sampler connected to public address (PA) speakers. Pickup basketball spectators adopt the role of a make-believe NBA-arena-DJ to perform interpretive NBA-themed soundscapes; which articulate and amplify the aesthetics of pickup basketball. The soundscapes immerse players and spectators in a mix of broadcast-style commentary, arena-style crowd sound effects and contemporary music break beats. The make-believe NBA experience provides players with an opportunity to perform on the ‘big stage’—a universal and motivating sports fantasy.

2K-Reality Urban Basketball Playspace Scenario

Sonar+D 2017 Demonstration Poster

Project Achievements

• Lead-author Peer-reviewed Papers

Ryan, T. P. & Duckworth, J. (2020). 2K-Reality and the Compliant Sports Augmentation Framework for Grassroots Sports. In Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Proceedings (Vol. 49, No. 1, Art. 83). [The Proceedings of the 13th conference of the International Sports Engineering Association, Online, 22-25 June 2020.]

Ryan, T. P., & Duckworth, J. (2017). 2K-Reality: An Acoustic Sports Entertainment Augmentation for Pickup Basketball Play Spaces. In Proceedings of AM ’17, London, United Kingdom, August 23–26, 2017.
     Nominated for Best Paper and Awarded Best Conference Presentation.

• Demonstration Exhibit at Sonar+D 2017 MarketLab, Barcelona Spain.

• Co-authored Peer-reviewed Paper (for Urban FIFA Derivative Football Application)

Strandby, M. W., Szatkowski, M. K., Petersen, J. L., Storebjerg, A., Dindler, C. & Ryan, T. P. (2016). URBAN FIFA: augmenting social sports with video game elements. In Proceedings of the 9th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, ACM.

• Peer-reviewed Public Artwork Exhibit at ISEA2015, the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art, Vancouver Canada.

ISEA2015 Exhibition Photo

2K-Reality iOS App Primary Interface