Hi—tech fun and games

A reflective drum machine, zombie game and elaborate mousetrap will be on display at UQ Ipswich tomorrow (Tuesday, October 25).

Multimedia Design and Information Environments students at Ipswich are showing off their work for the annual Interactive Exhibit.

The exhibit showcases individual and team projects from students of all years such as music videos, DVD showcases animated websites and animations.

Some of the projects are: animations that retell the history of the Universe and a three-dimensional (3D) interactive adventure in a Mayan temple and 3D recreation of a 19th century Queensland mining town.

Other projects include a footpad-based Space Invaders game, physical version of Pong and haunted hallway.

Honours students will display MailStacker, a new interface for email that displays mail as paper stacks instead of folders, and KidProbe a software helper similar to Microsoft helper that analyses how children use computer software.

Program Director Dr Margot Brereton said this would be the last exhibit by Information Environments students, with a new Interaction Design major starting in the Bachelor of Information Technology next year.

“The new program takes the traditional information technology core and teaches it in the design studio through practical projects,” Dr Brereton said.

“Students study all aspects of human interaction mediated by technology as well as technology development itself.

“Students will develop the design skills to implement useful and usable applications for sophisticated information environments, including wireless networked distributed mobile devices such as phones and personal digital devices, immersive environments and desktops.”

The Interactive Exhibit opens to the public on Tuesday, 25 October, between 10am and 2pm, in Building 1, UQ Ipswich.

Students’ family and friends, university staff and Ipswich business and political leaders will tour the display in the evening.

Media: contact Bergita Shannon (0409 610 489, 3381 1374) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (3365 2619). Photos available.