My Role: Lead Interaction Designer
Services: UX Research, Ideation, Gamification, Interaction Design, 3D Modeling, Prototyping, Visual Design
Platform: Unity + Xbox Kinect
Agency: Eyecatcher AG, Zurich
Timeline: 3 months, May 2015
Flight simulator – through gesture tracking
SWISS needed an immersive aviation experience for the Swiss Museum of Transport. Through body-tracking controls, realistic 3D environments, and personalized pilot certificates, we built a hands-free flight simulator where visitors land aircraft using only gestures. No controllers. Just movement. Aviation became tangible.
Core shift: From watching planes to flying them – through intuitive body control.
3 Min. Read
How we solved problems
Three challenges, three breakthroughs
Controllers create barriers. Body movement removes them.
Flight simulators use joysticks. Kids don't know joysticks. Seniors struggle with buttons. We used Xbox Kinect for gesture tracking. Lean left to turn. Step forward to sinck and backword to climb. Natural movements everyone understands.
Result: accessible flight experience for all ages. The best interface is no interface.
Realism without overwhelming users.
Real pilots follow complex procedures. Museum visitors have 5 minutes. We simplified the landing sequence: approach guidance, altitude control, touchdown feedback. Realistic enough to feel authentic. Simple enough to succeed.
Instructional overlays + real-time cockpit instruments balanced challenge with accessibility. Realism isn't complexity. It's recognizable patterns.
3D environments demand optimization without losing immersion.
We modeled Zurich Airport, Swiss topography, and the entire SWISS fleet in 3D. Challenge: keeping frame rates smooth for gesture tracking. Solution: optimized textures, LOD (level of detail) systems, and strategic visual focus.
Immersive world. Responsive controls. Performance optimization is invisible – until it's missing.
Final Designs
Enjoy the flight
The SWISS aircraft to pick
The SWISS aircraft fleet available for visitors to select.
The Cockpit
Real-time flight instruments and instructor guidance displays help participants visually approach Zurich Airport.
User-Flow and Gameplay
Interaction Elements and Buttons
Designing intuitive, hands-free controls.
Back in 2015, off-the-shelf gesture-tracking solutions were still in their infancy. We had to develop our interaction patterns and craft clear, intuitive instructions for users.
We conducted multiple user tests in our lab, refining the system to ensure seamless usability. These optimizations created an accessible, frustration-free interaction model, making the dream of flying as intuitive as possible for all visitors.
Reliving the Approach – The Replay Feature
Enhancing excitement with instant feedback.
To amplify the immersive experience, we introduced a replay feature that allowed participants to watch their landing approach. This not only reinforced their achievements but also added an element of excitement and anticipation—participants could see how smooth or challenging their landing was.
The replay system was designed to highlight key moments, such as the final descent, touchdown, and taxiing to the gate, providing a sense of accomplishment and realism. Watching their flight approach created an emotional connection to the experience, making the dream of piloting a SWISS aircraft even more tangible.
Key Learnings
What this project taught me
Gesture tracking in 2015 meant building interaction patterns from scratch
Off-the-shelf solutions didn't exist. The pain: designing button-free interactions without established conventions. What worked: multiple user tests in our lab, iterating on hold-to-select timings (2 seconds felt right), and creating clear visual feedback for every gesture.
Realistic 3D is meaningless if performance breaks immersion
I wanted photorealistic airports. The pain: frame rate drops killed the experience. What saved me: accepting «good enough» visuals, prioritizing smooth tracking over detail, and learning that responsive controls matter more than texture resolution.
Replay features amplify emotional impact
Visitors landing the plane felt accomplished. One thing remains: thats it? What helped: designing the replay to highlight key moments (final descent, touchdown, taxiing), turning achievement into a shareable memory.
Why this still matters
The best experiences remove barriers, not add features
Museum installations compete for attention. Complex controls lose visitors. The installations people remember don't demand skill – they invite participation. This flight simulator proved that intuitive interaction (body movement) beats feature-rich interfaces (button-heavy controllers). Accessibility isn't accommodation. It's better design.
Thank you for reading
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