Sonic Tennis: a rhythmic interaction game for mobile devices

This paper presents an audio-based tennis simulation game for mobile devices, which uses motion input and non-verbal audio feedback as exclusive means of interaction. Players have to listen carefully to the provided auditory clues, like racquet hits and ball bounces, rhythmically synchronizing their movements in order to keep the ball into play. The device can be swung freely and act as a full-fledged motionbased controller, as the game does not rely at all on visual feedback and the device display can thus be ignored. The game aims to be entertaining but also effective for educational purposes, such as ear training or improvement of the sense of timing, and enjoyable both by visually-impaired and sighted users.