Student project makes use of Kinect and Windows Phone to teach cultural norms

Ro Ramtohul is a student, studying at the University of Dundee, Scotland, who has been working on a project called "reculture" for the final year of his course (Digital Interaction Design), and it involves a Windows Phone. Those who primarily reside in the West (or share the same stereotypical ignorance towards foreign cultures as the British) are being targeted by Ramtohul for some interactive education.

The project, as can be witnessed in the above video, is a Windows Phone app that works with the Kinect for Xbox 360, much like we've seen with previous concepts. As opposed to learning the language, or reading blocks of tedious text, Ramtohul's work will have the user engage physically using gestures. The Windows Phone app will compliment the Kinect by acting as a type of 'instruction manual'. Users are alerted by a notification when they're in the proximity of the Kinect and can watch a small video within the mobile app illustrating what gesture is required to be carried out (accompanied by some details about the culture).

Gestures (and cultures) alternate on a daily basis, with the above Japanese greeting acting as a single example - a successful command turns on the TV. It's a really neat concept and we look forward to see how the development pans out. You can find out more about what motivated Ramtohul with reculture, as well as checking out more videos of his work via the links below. The project is full steam ahead with more cultures and gestures being programmed - of course, the British gesture will be drinking a cup of tea.

Source: reculture, Vimeo