Sj ¨alvst ¨andigt arbete i informationsteknologi 20 juni 2016
Eco-Gamification of the
Swedish Recycling System
The Pantarevir Game
Pontus Hilding Lukas Hamberg Anton K ¨allbom
Civilingenj ¨orsprogrammet i informationsteknologi
Institutionen f ¨or informationsteknologi
Bes ¨oksadress:
ITC, Polacksbacken L ¨agerhyddsv ¨agen 2
Postadress:
Box 337 751 05 Uppsala
Hemsida:
http:/www.it.uu.se
Abstract
Eco-Gamification of the Swedish Recycling System
The Pantarevir Game Pontus Hilding
Lukas Hamberg Anton K ¨allbom
This is a report which details an independent project for the Computer and Information Engineering Programme held at Uppsala University in- volving the design and development of a mobile application to promote recycling habits. The application is called Pantarevir and its purpose is to act as a competitive game in which users conquer territories within a city by recycling more than other users within the same area. The project explores the concept of gamification in which themes and concepts nor- mally found in games are in-cooperated in a non-game context. The non-game context for this project is the act of recycling. The Pantarevir game transforms recycling into a competitive game, designed to form an environmental awareness and mindset in its players as well as being fun to play.
Extern handledare: Pantamera AB
Handledare: Sofia Cassel och Bj¨orn Victor Examinator: Bj¨orn Victor
Sammanfattning
Denna rapport beskriver ett oberoende projekt f¨or Civilingenj¨orsprogrammet inom In- formationsteknologi p˚a Uppsala Universitet. Rapporten handlar om designen och ut- vecklingen av en mobilapplikation f¨or att uppm¨arksamma m¨anniskors ˚atervinningsvanor.
Applikationen heter Pantarevir och dess syfte ¨ar att fungera som ett t¨avlingsinriktat spel d¨ar anv¨andare t¨avlar om att ta ¨over omr˚aden inom sin stad. Detta sker genom att t¨avla om vem som pantar mest inom ett omr˚ade. Projektet utforskar konceptet spelifiering d¨ar teman och koncept som normalt sett finnes i spel samverkar inom n˚agot som nor- malt sett inte f¨orknippas med spel. I detta fall handlar det om att spelifiera ˚atervinning.
Spelet Pantarevir f¨orvandlar ˚atervinning till ett t¨avlingsinriktat spel, framtaget f¨or att uppm¨arksamma p˚af¨oljden av ˚atervinning samt ha en positiv inverkan p˚a spelarna. Detta tillsammans med att vara ett spel vilket spelare ¨aven finner underh˚allande.
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 The Pantarevir Game . . . 2
2 Background 3 2.1 Gamification For Environmental Sustainability . . . 3
3 Purpose, Aims, and Motivation 5 3.1 Purpose . . . 5
3.2 Aims . . . 5
3.3 Motivation . . . 6
3.4 Delimitations . . . 7
4 Related Work 7 4.1 Applications . . . 8
4.2 Recycling Competitions . . . 8
5 Method 9 5.1 Implementation . . . 9
5.2 Graphical User Interface . . . 10
5.3 Statistical Representation . . . 10
6 System Structure 12 6.1 Barcode Scanner . . . 12
6.2 Firebase . . . 13
6.3 Interactive Map . . . 13
7 Requirements and Evaluation Methods 14
7.1 Barcode Scanner Evaluation . . . 14
7.2 Territorial Map Evaluation . . . 15
7.3 Statistical Representation Evaluation . . . 16
7.4 User Chart Evaluation . . . 16
8 The Finished Design 17 8.1 Authentication . . . 17
8.2 Main Menu . . . 19
8.3 Barcode Scanner . . . 20
8.4 User Chart . . . 21
8.5 Statistical Representation . . . 22
8.6 Territorial Map Overview . . . 22
9 Evaluation Results 24 10 Results and Discussion 27 10.1 Barcode Scanner . . . 27
10.2 Territorial Map Overview . . . 29
10.3 Statistical Estimations . . . 29
10.4 The Application Performance . . . 30
11 Conclusions 31 12 Future Work 32 12.1 Uploading Profile Picture . . . 32
12.2 Support For the Donation Button . . . 32
12.3 Friend Invitation . . . 32
1 Introduction
1 Introduction
How can one encourage people to recycle bottles and cans more frequently? Can a mo- bile game be created to get an entire city actively involved in the recycling cause? These questions spawned the idea of the Pantarevir game. Pantarevir is mobile game, of our own design, with an environmental purpose. By applying theories within gamification [34, Introduction,p. XIV], a design method which involves applying game concepts to a non-game context, we have created a fun and appealing game which will inspire people to actively help the environment. More specifically this project explores the concept of eco-gamification [18], where a game is created with an environmental sustainability incentive.
When playing Pantarevir, the goal is to conquer territories within a city. A user of the application does this by simply recycling more than other users within the same territory. Territories in Pantarevir are defined by the locations of the recycling stations within a city. For this project the game will be limited to the city of Uppsala, Sweden, thus providing 37 recycling-stations to compete for.
To play the game the user creates an account via Facebook credentials or an email address. When logged in to the application the user can register any recently recycled bottles and cans by scanning a recycling receipt with an iPhone or iPad camera. The user also gets a birds-eye view of the city and all its territories revealing territories conquered by other users. The application also provides a statistical overview which ranks the users by the amount of items the users have managed to recycle.
. . . .
Figure 1: The concept art of the finished product.
1 Introduction
1.1 The Pantarevir Game
In Swedish recycling stations people can deposit cans and bottles and receive recycling receipts. Recycling receipts serve as the monetary reimbursement for the recycled items and include a barcode which can be used in supermarkets to purchase goods or simply receive the receipt value in Swedish kronor. The Pantarevir game is about expanding the rewards of recycling beyond this monetary reimbursement. Pantarevir is about con- quering territories through recycling.
What Is A ”Revir”? A territory, or ”revir” which is the Swedish translation, is in the game an area surrounding a recycling station which has a bottle and can depository.
A player which has conquered a territory will be considered the ”owner” of that specific territory. The user can display their profile picture and name along with amount of recycled items the user has registered with the application. The owner of a territory is determined by which user has recycled the most at a specific recycling station i.e.
territory.
Goal Of The Game The goal of the game is to conquer territories, or ”revir” as they are called in the game, within a city. A player competes with other players over recycling stations within Uppsala. In the application you create a personal profile and the application keeps track of the recycled items which has been registered though the application. There is a territorial map overview which displays all the current territories within the city and the current owner of that territory. There is also a leaderboard which ranks players by how much they have recycled.
The overall goal is to inspire an environmental mindset and inform players of how much of an impact recycling can have on the environment. Therefore the game provides an informative statistical overview which calculates the energy and carbon emissions saved as a result of their recycling habits.
How Does One Play? By registering an account one can immediately begin playing the game. The player only needs a mobile device with a camera and a recycling receipt with a barcode. The player uses the camera to scan the barcode and the value of the receipt is added to the players total recycling amount.
2 Background
2 Background
Pantarevir is an environmental project. The project involves the design and develop- ment of a mobile application intended to incite people to recycle more. By recycling aluminum, over 90 percent of the energy needed to make new aluminum is saved [28].
According to the Swedish company Pantamera [22], Sweden is one of the best coun- tries in the world when it comes to recycle cans and bottles, but nearly a hundred million recyclable cans are thrown away every year [21]. The recycling rate of both bottles and cans in Sweden was approximately 84.4% in 2015 [19].
By viewing recycling habits from a global standpoint it becomes clear that the amount of non-recycled cans and bottles is still very high in many countries. A sustainability report written in 2012 by Rexam [27], a world leading can manufacturer, quotes a aluminum can recycling rate of 68% in Europe and 57% in the United States of America in 2009 [26]. This reveals a significant difference in Swedish recycling habits in comparison to other countries.
The development will be done in close cooperation will Returpack AB [20], a company in Sweden which has the responsibility of handling the recycling system in Sweden.
More specifically the project will be done with Pantamera, a trademark owned by Retur- pack and a well established environmental organization in Sweden. Pantamera actively strives for the increase of recycled bottles and cans and has done much for the environ- mental cause in Sweden. In this report, when referring to Pantamera, it is implied that Returpack is the main external partner.
2.1 Gamification For Environmental Sustainability
Gamification has become useful and powerful design concept and marketing tool[34, Introduction, p.XIV]. It may be applied to any project or product as a means to inspire motivation or create competitive drive. By borrowing from design concepts often found in games, for example achievement rewards and/or scoring systems, and applying this to non-gaming context one has achieved gamification. But how does one create successful application through gamification?
Engagement A term frequently used when discussing gamification as a business strategy is engagement[34, Introduction, p. XVI]. In a purely business sense, engage- ment is used to describe the relationship a customer has to a specific product or ser- vice. For the purpose of this report, engagement refers to the relationship which users have to the Pantarevir application. The term engagement can be be deconstructed into
2 Background
five quantifiable metrics which can be all combined to determine the engagement of the Pantarevir application [34, Introduction, p. XVI][33, Outcomes of Gamification, p. 106]:
• Recency When the game last was played?
• Frequency How often do users play the game?
• Duration How long do users play the game?
• Virality A measurable quantity relating to the gathering of new users of the ap- plication.
• Ratings The user satisfaction ratings given by current users of the application.
By keeping these five metrics metrics in mind, one may have the fundamental building blocks for designing successful mobile-game application. When analyzing these metrics together as part of a whole it may reveal the probability of success for the application in question. For the Pantarevir application, frequency and virality are key metrics which must be taken into consideration. To keep the game alive and active, the users must frequently play the game to create a competitive atmosphere. Virality is vital to gain a greater user base which will in turn keep the game alive and active. Without the gain of new users the game may die out due to lack of activity.
Thus, in terms of engagement, Pantarevir must be designed as a game which necessitates users to frequently play to keep the game alive. We must also keep the aspect of virality in mind to sustain an ever-growing user base.
Designing ”Fun” Can any task or product be made fun? When discussing gamifica- tion it is important to discuss enjoyment. It may be worth wondering whether anything can be made ”fun”. Can enjoyment be extracted from any mundane task? Zichermann and Cunningham write: ”everything has the potential to be fun” [34, Chapter 1, p. 2].
An example to at least strengthen this statement would be the game Papers, Please [24]:
a multi-award winning game in which a player takes the roll of an immigration inspector at a border checkpoint. The player must engage in the seemingly mundane and tiring task of inspecting papers and documents of a variety of characters entering the fictitious country of Arstotzka. Although having a seemingly quite boring premise at a glance, the game has received wide critical acclaim [24].
With the previous example in mind, the task of making recycling ”fun” does not seem too far-fetched.
3 Purpose, Aims, and Motivation
Incorporating Fun and Engagement How does one successfully adopt the prin- ciples of engagement while still preserving the ”fun” element? To achieve high en- gagement frequency and virality the game must provide elements commonly found in games. Point systems[34, Chaper 3, p. 38] are commonly used in games to provide graspable rewards for playing a game and are, as Zichermann and Cunningham write,
”an absolute requirement for all gameified systems”[34, Chaper 3, p. 36]. Through a well implemented point system, the sense of competition arises and hopefully a feeling of enjoyment. Pantarevir adopts point systems as a way to stimulate the competitive instincts of its players. The sense of competition is an important aspect to consider if we are to encourage our players to play the game frequently. The sense of competition will also hopefully keep virality high by inspiring new users to challenge the already present players of Pantarevir.
3 Purpose, Aims, and Motivation
The project strives for an environmental cause, namely the recycling of beverage cans and bottles. In this section the purpose, aims and motivation for the project are ex- plained.
3.1 Purpose
Recycling Increase One of the purposes of the project was to increase the number of recycled bottles and cans by creating an active user base through the Pantarevir game.
Pantarevir is designed to provide a competitive social platform in hopes that users find the game enjoyable as well as instilling a competitive drive to recycle more.
Environmental Awareness The Pantarevir game has been designed to instill an environmental awareness of how non-recycled bottles and cans affect the environment, which together with the competitive aspect can work as a potential tool to increase the amount of recycled cans and bottles.
3.2 Aims
The aim of the project was to develop a functioning mobile application in hopes that the finished product meets quality, functionality and security standards which are expected
3 Purpose, Aims, and Motivation
by our external partner Pantamera. The goal was to offer at least an adequately func- tioning product which would be ready to undergo an alpha-testing phase in Uppsala.
Competitive Aspect The main focus behind the implementation of conquering ter- ritories was to draw attention to users who perform well in order to generate a com- petitive drive among other users to recycle more and perhaps compete within smaller groups of friends. The latter might work as a great tool for also involving users who do not recycle in the same extent as high ranking players, thus eventually increasing the user base which can be seen as highly important for a competitive game.
Environmental Awareness The goal was to deliver a fun and competitive game which would be able to inform the users about the importance of the recycling cause.
By informing users in such a direct way, one may perhaps generate an environmental mindset among them.
Recycling Increase By having implemented functionality based on these factors into the application, letting them work together to form a game, it is possible that the Pantarevir game may help to increase the amount of recycling among people in general.
3.3 Motivation
The project is important due to its environmental focus. On a successful completion of the project there may be a substantial increase in the number of bottles and cans recycled and may bring further attention to recycling as an important environmental issue. For our external partner, Pantamera, the Pantarevir application may prove to be a fun and en- tertaining way to gain public interest in their environmental cause. Eco-gamification, a gamification concept specifically aimed towards a sustainable environment, has proved to be an effective way of inspiring a ecological mindset [18]. The Pantarevir application is a prime example of a product which utilizes eco-gamification concepts. By creat- ing a game which rewards recycling habits, one bridges a gap between technological development and environmental sustainability.
The game is to inspire users to think more about how their recycling habits directly make an impact on the environment. To achieve this it is important that the game not only registers the amount of money from users’ recycling, but also gives the users direct statistical feedback on how they personally have made an impact. The project truly achieves eco-gamification by inspiring, through a gaming platform, an environmental
4 Related Work
awareness and mindset. It is this that gives the application a true purpose. Pantarevir has the potential to not only change the environment for the better but also inspire change in those whom affect the environment i.e. everyone.
3.4 Delimitations
Because of the time restriction for this project, Pantarevir was limited to only work on the iOS platform, excluding all other operating systems such as Windows Phone, Android et cetera. There might be further implementations later on for other types of operating systems if the development continues for the project. For the iOS platforms, it has been restricted to only work with models starting from iPhone 5 and up due to the resolution in the older models being too low for the graphical user interface imple- mented.
Furthermore, the application will only work within Uppsala but might be expanded later on in the future. This is mainly due to the map interaction being mainly based on manually gathered information, which limits our geographic boundaries to only one city.
The data gathered from scanning recycling receipts will only contain the total recycled amount instead of more detailed data, such as the amount of cans, bottles et cetera. This leads to statistic information not being completely accurate but instead an approximation of what seems most likely, based on the calculations and estimations made. These are described in details in 5.3. Calculations respectively 10. Results and Discussion.
4 Related Work
There are some applications and competitions that work in a similar way as this project is intended. Pantarevir acts as a competitive game where the main focus lies on conquer- ing each others’ territories, which already has been implemented in other applications.
This also applies to the whole concept of improving recycle habits, which has been done many times before. The main focus of Pantarevir is to combine the already ex- isting methods and create something new which may serve as a step towards a higher environmental awareness in the general public.
The related work presented below are mainly based on the similarities in both their competitive aspect and their main purpose. By looking at the functional aspects of the game, the Turf Wars application along with its idea is almost identical of what has been
4 Related Work
implemented in the Pantarevir application. As for related applications, there is also the current application for Pantamera which in a similar way locates the recycling stations on a map. This application is not highly used in the present according to Pantamera, but is worth mentioning due to the informative aspect it provides, which also plays a part in the Pantarevir application.
Besides Turf Wars and the current Pantamera application, the competitive aspect along with the purpose is similar to the bigger recycling competitions as of today. This mainly relates to the recycling competitions RecycleMania and the similar Swedish version, Pantresan. They share the same purpose, i.e. increasing the recycling awareness but they also apply a competitive aspect to it. This is what the Pantarevir application has been built upon, which makes these types of competitions highly related to it.
Below follows a few examples of the similar applications and projects that have been done in the past.
4.1 Applications
Turf Wars As for the idea of having a map with territories for the user to claim, it has been done in several games including the iOS and Android application Turf Wars [30].
Turf Wars is a popular game that allows users to claim and defend territories using a real map with real locations, and the Pantarevir application uses a similar approach. How- ever, the application does not have any specialized way of claiming areas, but instead only requires the user to claim an area via the menu in the game application without having to fulfill any additional tasks.
Current Pantamera Application Pantamera currently has a mobile application [11] which enables users to find nearby recycling stations and trashcans which offer separate disposal of bottles and cans. The application works as a tool to navigate to the nearest recycling station but lacks the competitive aspect to the recycling itself. This has however been implemented in the Pantarevir application in order to incite users to actively engage in recycling.
4.2 Recycling Competitions
RecycleMania RecycleMania[25] is a competition in the United States of America in which schools compete with each other to achieve the highest reported recycling per capita. The program is aimed at students with the purpose of building a natural habit
5 Method
of recycling at an early age. Once every week, each school report in the past week’s result to RecycleMania and can follow their current ranking in the national toplist. This gamification concept is similar to the one that has been used in Pantarevir except that the Pantarevir leaderboard is updated in real-time at each new recycling event. Apart from the honor of being at the top of the list, the motivator behind their program are prizes made from recyclable materials and the option to host the award ceremony.
Pantresan A similar competition is held annually in Sweden by Returpack named Pantresan[23]. The competition is aimed at primary school pupils and motivates them o recycle by using a 20 000 SEK prize pool for the winner to use for a school trip. To count each school’s total recycling, every recycling receipt has to be photographed and sent to Returpack for validation. These are in turn manually counted and the results are published at their website at the end of each season. The winner is the class which can travel the farthest by train per person with the energy saved from the recycled materials.
5 Method
The development of the application was divided into three main sections, namely the programming language implementation, the graphical user interface and the statistical representation. Below follows explanations for each main section.
5.1 Implementation
The application was written entirely in the programming language Swift [12], Apple’s new language which is aimed to supersede the older, later to be deprecated language Objective-C[5]. The integrated development environment (IDE) used was Xcode [10].
A reasonable choice as Xcode is customized for iOS and OSX applications. It does not only contain all the necessary features to ease the programming progress but is also very tightly integrated with GitHub [14] to ease collaboration between the group members.
The application is built upon view controllers [7] in Xcode where each view controller corresponds to a view, for example the login screen or the main menu. Each view controller is connected to a file which consists of the code of a specific view controller.
5 Method
5.2 Graphical User Interface
When developing for a mobile platform, it is important to take into account the different resolutions used. Therefore, every image that is created must be optimized in order to fit every screen of the newer iPhones which are supported by the application. This espe- cially applies to the application icon which must consist of several different resolutions explained in Apple’s information page [3] about different icon and image size standards which have been followed.
Many of the graphical implementations are from built-in objects in Xcode, such as text buttons and rectangular shaped boxes. They are customized into fitting the screen auto- matically and have therefore no fixed size. For the font type, Avenir Book and Avenir Heavy have been used, which are included as a standard in Xcode. The background im- ages are created in Adobe Photoshop [2] with a resolution of 2362 ∗ 1581 pixels which then have been cropped and scaled down to fit the screen. The icons in the navigation menu are all square sized with a resolution of 792 ∗ 792 pixels together with a trans- parent background. In order to achieve transparency, all images are created in a PNG format [4].
5.3 Statistical Representation
Calculations Approximately 900 million aluminum cans and 510 million plastic bottles are recycled every year in Sweden [21]. From this data it can be estimated that for every Swedish krona (SEK), 63.8 % correlates to aluminum cans while 36.2 % correlates to plastic bottles. Furthermore, the bottles consist of two different sizes where bigger bottles are recycled to a greater extent compared to smaller ones according to the information regarding can and bottle production from Pantamera [21]. Due to an absence of statistics regarding the recycling rate for individual bottle sizes, the statistical representations in Pantarevir are based on that 3 out of 4 recycled bottles are of the bigger size (150 centiliters). This results in an average amount of 0.2125 kWh and 0.0525 kilogram CO2 per recycled bottle, based on the information from Returpack AB’s environmental report [15]. The energy saved has been rounded down in order to simplify the calculations:
0.24 kW h · 3 + 0.13 kW h · 1
4 = 0.2125 ≈ 0.2 kW h
0.06 kg CO2· 3 + 0.03 kg CO2· 1
4 = 0.0525 kg CO2
5 Method
For the aluminum cans the energy and CO2 savings are estimated to be 0.2 kWh and 0.2886 kilograms respectively. This is also based on the aforementioned environmental report from Returpack AB. The following calculations were made in order to sum up the savings for each SEK recycled. Due to the amount being slightly higher than 1 SEK as a result of the bigger bottles being worth 2 SEK per bottle, an adjustment has been made by multiplying the result with 0.787. The results are shown per SEK recycled.
0.787 ·0.2 kW h · 900 M + 0.2 kW h · 510 M
1410 M ≈ 0.1574 kW h
0.787 · 0.2886 kg CO2· 900 M + 0.0525 kg CO2· 510 M
1410 M ≈ 0.1574 kg CO2
Examples When having the data, it is easy to estimate how much each recycled item corresponds to daily tasks. Most of the examples used in the statistics were gathered straight from the environmental report presented by Returpack AB, but can be expanded by using the calculated data. Every task is either measured in time, distance or per- centage. A table with examples is provided below which have been taken from the environmental report from Returpack AB:
Activity CO2 Energy
Hair dryer (per min) 0.027 kWh Microwave (per min) 0.023 kWh Driving (per km) 0.186 kg
Hamburger meal 1.800 kg
6 System Structure
6 System Structure
Figure 2: A graphical view of the system structure.
The platform for the system will be built upon iOS 9 as a mobile application, by using Swift as the development language. The application includes all necessary systems, such as a database for storing information, graphical interfaces, an interactive map and systems letting the users register their PET recycling. The database stores and handles information about all users, locations of the PET recycling machines and other various information that is used.
6.1 Barcode Scanner
To achieve the functionality the application strives to carry out, a robust barcode scanner is a necessity. The scanner used is built upon a framework provided by Apple named AVFoundation[6]. The framework is used to obtain the mobile’s video feed, extracting the EAN number from the barcode and converting it into plain text. After the conversion, rigorous security checks are performed to conclude whether a valid barcode has been scanned. These are discussed in more detail in section 8.3. Barcode Scanner. After a successful scan, the amount of the receipt and various miscellaneous information such as the time of the scan are pushed to the Firebase server for storage.
6 System Structure
6.2 Firebase
The application uses a back-end cloud service recently acquired by Google called Fire- base[13]. All data intended for online communication within the project are stored on the service and thus plays the part of the project’s database. It is built upon JavaScript Object Notation(JSON) [17], a language-independent data format which resembles hu- man text in many ways. Firebase has many desirable features which are of great use to the application. The two most prominent ones are the real-time database feature and the user authentication feature.
By having access to a real-time database, the user data is able to always be synchronous over all database-connected devices. This is a huge asset for Pantarevir’s leaderboard and territorial map as it allows the same information to be displayed for all users with an active connection.
The user authentication service provided by Firebase enables each user to be securely authenticated by either email and password after creating an account or via the Facebook account directly.
6.3 Interactive Map
The Pantarevir game features an interactive map which provides a territorial overview detailing the locations of the recycling stations which users can compete for. This map service has been implemented using Apple Maps [8] which is the default map service for iOS development. A user accesses the interactive map by pressing the button “Re- virkarta” in the main menu. The map then gathers data from Firebase which is used to draw the territories on the map. The territories are represented as circles centered on the recycling stations within Uppsala. All specifics regarding the territories such as color of the circle, radius and current owner et cetera. are retrieved from Firebase. If changes occur in the data stored in Firebase while a user is currently using the map, the map will update and redraw the territories.
On initial load, the map centers on the users current location. However, this is only possible if the user has allowed Pantarevir to handle the users location data. The user is prompted to allow location data services when the application loads the map overview.
7 Requirements and Evaluation Methods
7 Requirements and Evaluation Methods
As the application is aimed mainly at everyday users it is important to let them be the prime focus during the development. This means that it is of great importance to create an application that is both easy to use and reliable. There should be no misconceptions for the user on how to use Pantarevir. This is achieved by having clear instructions of what to do at every view that is presented to the user. This is of particular importance during the receipt scanning part of the program. Users need comprehensive directives of what they are supposed to do at all times and what they did wrong after an incorrect scan or action within the application.
There is of great importance to have a robust scoring system as the whole purpose of the application is to motivate users to recycle. This requires a scoring system that is pleasing to a majority of users by not having a too big of a gap between user scores. Moreover, the application needs to appeal to those users that show less frequent recycling habits so that they also may be able to participate.
The resulting product is dependent on having a large number of active users. Supposing the application were to be released to the public, an important aspect would be to quickly build a large user base. Without a moderately large one, the concept of the game itself becomes less appealing as the competitive part of it is diminished.
The application should feel fast and responsive, there should be no delays caused by poor code optimization. Furthermore, it needs to be able to serve a larger amount of users simultaneously. At its current state it is able to handle 100 connected users con- currently. The limit of 100 users is due to restrictions Firebase have on clients which are using the free version of Firebase, which is the case in our implementation. Finally, there should occur no loss of user data in the event of application crashes.
7.1 Barcode Scanner Evaluation
The barcode scanner was evaluated strictly in terms of user-friendliness and security.
The scanner should be easy to use and there is to be no misconceptions for the user of how to utilize the scanner. Neither should any invalid receipts be granted access to update values on the server. Further, the security mechanics is to find and reject attempts of scanning counterfeit receipts and prevent users from sharing receipts between one another. The objective of the barcode scanner is to satisfy the following requirements:
• Users should be able to clearly resolve what to do in every situation and be given explicit information of why a receipt is being rejected.
7 Requirements and Evaluation Methods
• Alignment of a barcode should not have to be perfect in the camera view for the application to register a receipt. It shall also automatically detect a barcode without the need for any button presses.
• A barcode that is not part of a recycling receipt should always be rejected.
• Any barcode that consists of an errornous checksum, invalid EAN-type, improper tax refund or that by any other means do not follow the standards of a valid recy- cling receipt should be rejected instantly.
• Scanning the same receipt more than once should only account for one server update.
• Users are to be prevented from sharing receipts between each other.
7.2 Territorial Map Evaluation
The functionality of the territorial map was evaluated by asserting that the map and its corresponding territories where rendered successfully and with the correct specifics and that the rendering was done dynamically without significant delay. The evaluation of the territorial map was done by assuring that its functionality meets the following requirements:
• A successfully rendered territory must contain the correct information as it is represented in the Firebase database. A territory must be drawn with the correct color, radius, name, coordinates, current owner and recycled value.
• All territories stored in Firebase database must be retrieved successfully.
• The map must fulfill dynamic rendering. If any changes related to territory specifics occur in the Firebase database while a user views the map then the change will be rendered in real time.
• On initial load the map must center on the users location if the user has allowed for Pantarevir to access the users location. If the user denies the use of location data then the map must default to the city of Uppsala.
• Rendering of the map and it territories should occur without noticeable delay.
7 Requirements and Evaluation Methods
7.3 Statistical Representation Evaluation
The evaluation of the statistical representation was designed to assert that the informa- tion always was presented correctly, correctly correlating to the amount recycled. In order to assure the necessary criteria were fulfilled, the evaluation was based on the following requirements:
• The information presented must always follow the predetermined formula and present a correct result for different amounts within a realistic interval ranging up to at least 100 000 SEK.
• The information must be updated in real time through the database and always display the correct information based on the recent updated value.
7.4 User Chart Evaluation
The user chart must present all information correctly, including the profile picture, name and recycled amount. It must be able to always display the most updated information at all times. The evaluation was based on the following requirements:
• The users in the user chart must always be presented with the correct amount in descending order with a maximum representation of 20 users. Also, all infor- mation presented for each user shall be correct, that is the full name and profile picture together with the correct recycled amount.
• The user chart must be updated in real time and always display the current infor- mation, without having the user reload the user chart view.
8 The Finished Design
8 The Finished Design
This section will provide a thorough description and discussion of the resulting applica- tion. More specifically, all views that are presented to the user and the mechanics of the underlying services that stitches Pantarevir together.
8.1 Authentication
Login The first view that is presented to the user is the login screen (see fig. 3). Here the user has four interactive buttons and two text fields, all of whom are used for authen- tication purposes. Pantarevir operates an authentication system with two options: either to log in via email and password or to log in via Facebook. The email and password authentication system uses two text fields for entering user credentials with a log in but- ton and two supplementary buttons for creating an account and to retrieve a forgotten password. Facebook authentication discards the need for all of those while keeping a higher functionality and uses solely one - “Logga in via Facebook”
Figure 3: Login screen.
In the case where the email and password method of authentication is used, the entered information is pushed to the Firebase server for validation. As expected, correct credentials takes the user to the main menu while incorrect ones causes a pop-up window to appear prompting the user to try again.
When using the Facebook way of authentication, the user is automatically taken to the Facebook ap- plication (or the Facebook website if the applica- tion is not installed on the device) where the user needs to confirm that Pantarevir wants to access certain information about the user (see fig. 4a).
By allowing Pantarevir to access the information, the user is proceeded to the main menu and a new database entry for that user is stored on the Fire- base server (see fig. 4b).
From a developer standpoint, the preferred choice of user authentication is through Facebook due to its simplicity and security. That way the user is not required to create an account, does not have to
upload a profile picture and most importantly - the use of fake names is not possible.
8 The Finished Design
(a) Facebook prompt
(b) A user represented in the database.
Figure 4: The Facebook prompt and database representation.
The decision to implement a two way authentication system was however necessary due to the need to reach all potential users; not all people possess a Facebook account.
Creating An Account By pressing the create account button, the user is taken to a new screen where essential information about the user has to be provided (see fig. 5). These are the user’s name, surname, email, password and confirmation of the password. Correctly entering a text field will cause the border of the text field to turn green. Not en- tering any of the fields or entering one incorrectly will cause the incorrect fields to turn red. This is to hint to the user of what information was given incorrectly. When everything is correct the creden- tials are pushed to Firebase for storage (see fig. 4b) and the user is taken back to the login screen. The user may also cancel the registration at any time by clicking the cancel button.
8 The Finished Design
Figure 6: Restore password.
Forgot Password The forgot password screen is provided for users that do not remember their password (see fig. 6). The view contains a sin- gle textfield for entering an e-mail address and one submit button. By entering an existing address and submitting, an e-mail is sent to the user with a temporary password that can be used to login. If the entered address does not exist on the Firebase server, the user is prompted to try again by a pop- up window.
8.2 Main Menu
From the main menu (see fig. 7), the user can reach all sections of the application. The menu consists a total of four available options together with a set- tings button which, in the application current state, opens up a view which enables the user to log out from their account.
Figure 7: Main menu.
Besides the interactive buttons in the menu, the user’s full name, profile picture and current amount is presented in the top row for the user to easily be identified and get an overview of the reg- istered amount for which the user has recycled. All the user information is gathered from the database, including the profile picture if the user has regis- tered an account via Facebook.
The main menu was made and works as intended without any inconveniences. The importance of having a user-friendly menu with an understand- able navigation was easy to fulfill when having a simple application based on the small number of navigational views.
8 The Finished Design
(a) Choosing a store. (b) Scanning a receipt.
Figure 8: The views for selecting a store and scan recept.
8.3 Barcode Scanner
Scanner View The barcode scanner is preceded by a table view in which the user is able to choose at which store they have recycled. When a store has been selected (see fig. 8a), the user is taken to the receipt scanning view. Here the application asks for permission to use the phone’s camera. By granting the request, the upper part of the screen is turned into a live feed of the camera’s vision. The user is prompted to scan a recycling receipt which is accomplished by fully capturing the receipt barcode in the camera view. There is no need to take an actual picture of the barcode by pressing any button, the application immediately senses the arrival of a barcode. If the receipt suc- cessfully passes all the implemented security checks, a pop-up window appears which asks to confirm the amount. If the receipt does not pass a security check, a label is displayed telling the user what went wrong (see fig. 9).
8 The Finished Design
Figure 9: Error message when scanning a used receipt.
Security Without a proper validation of each scanned receipt, the application would be rendered close to useless. This would allow a user to quickly capture all territories by repeatedly scanning the same real or fake receipt over and over again. To prevent this, a series of security checks have been implemented. These include verifying the type of receipt to make sure its a recycling receipt, veri- fying digits at specific positions in the EAN code, calculating the check sum and making sure that it is a valid recycling station.
In addition, all previously scanned receipts are stored on the Firebase server with information about the receipt’s EAN-code, user id of the user whom scanned it, time stamp and amount. At each scan, all previously scanned receipts by the user are matched with the new receipt to ensure that it has not been scanned by the user before. To pre- vent users sharing a scanned receipt between each
other, receipts are also matched with all previous receipts by all users. However, this check contains different factors to ensure that duplicate receipts are not declined.
8.4 User Chart
The user chart (see fig. 10) displays all the regis- tered users where the users are sorted in a descend- ing order, based on their recycled amount. The user can choose to view the user chart both based on the weekly amount and on the total amount. All the information is gathered from the database and consists of the users’ full names, profile pictures and recycling amounts.
There is also an option for choosing a specific city, which has not yet been implemented due to the ap- plication only being available in Uppsala. Overall, the user chart works as intended and does not need any further development until implementing sup- port for other cities.
8 The Finished Design
8.5 Statistical Representation
Figure 11: Statistics.
In the statistical representation view (see fig. 11), the user is presented with different kinds of infor- mation that represents the energy and CO2 emis- sions saved from their recycling. The data is then represented as everyday tasks from the energy and CO2 emissions saved.
When working with statistical information, it is important to make it interesting in order to get the attention of the user. This has been solved by presenting statistics regarding everyday tasks which may be relevant to the user. This is method preferable as, instead of just presenting informa- tion about the savings from CO2 emissions or the amount of energy saved from each recycled item, the statistics provided are easy to relate to.
Every task is either represented as a duration, a dis- tance or as a percentage. The main goal of having a statistical representation is to raise awareness of the impact recycling has, and so it is of great importance to have an appealing statistical representation. This goal may not be completely fulfilled due to the lack of graphical representations of the statistics, even though the information may be seen as interesting.
Due to the scanned receipts being designed to only include the total recycled amount without considering the number of aluminum cans and plastic bottles recycled, approx- imations had to be made in order to get estimations of the energy and CO2 emissions saved per Swedish krona (SEK). Estimations were made by looking at the statistics presented at Pantamera’s website regarding can and bottle production [21]. The calcu- lations and estimations made are described in section 5.3. (Calculations) and section 10. (Results and Discussion) respectively.
8.6 Territorial Map Overview
From the main menu the user may press the button labeled “Revirkarta” which launches a new view revealing a territorial map overview centered on the users current location.
When the view is loaded the map zooms in on the user’s location and draws all the territories in the form of circles in different colors. Icons appear in the centers of the
8 The Finished Design
circles which are centered on the coordinates of the corresponding recycling stations (see fig. 12).
Figure 12: Map with territories.
When a user touches an icon on the map a box is revealed which gives further information regard- ing the specified territory. In this box, the name of the store which houses the recycling station is re- vealed as well as which user currently has control of the territory and the amount of recycled items the user has currently registered. If the user has registered an account via Facebook then the user’s Facebook profile picture is shown in the box. If the user is instead registered via email then a de- fault icon picture is used instead of the Facebook profile picture.
The territories are drawn dynamically by gathering data from Firebase. Territory information such as color, coordinates, radius et cetera. are stored as JSON objects which are then used to draw each individual circle on the map (see fig. 13). The radius of a given territory is determined by how
much the user has recycled. The circle radius is simply calculated by using the amount of recycled items the user has registered in the application in SEK and multiplying this number by 2. Territories may overlap and as of now there are no consequences if one territory envelops another.
Figure 13: Firebase map data.
9 Evaluation Results
9 Evaluation Results
This section reviews if the Pantarevir application meets the requirements which were set during the initial stages of development. Here the application is evaluated in terms of overall requirements, functionality and user experience.
Barcode Scanner Evaluation Results The barcode scanner was evaluated in terms of its capability of fulfilling the previously set requirements in section 7.1. Bar- code Scanner Evaluation.
• Users should be able to clearly resolve what to do in every situation and be given explicit information of why a receipt is being rejected.
An instructive label at the button of the scanning view gives clear directives at what to do when the view is initially loaded. At every rejected scan, the label is changed to instead tell the user what went wrong.
• Alignment of a barcode should not have to be perfect in the camera view for the application to register a receipt. It shall also automatically detect a barcode without the need for any button presses.
The barcode does in its current state not have to be perfectly aligned with the camera. It flawlessly registers a barcode when the camera and barcode are aligned by roughly 0, 90, 180 or 260 degrees. Too great deviations from one of these angles may sometimes render the read unsuccessful but has during testing never been seen as a bothersome problem. The scanner detects barcodes completely without the need for user interaction.
• A barcode that is not part of a recycling receipt should always be rejected.
Barcodes that do not follow the format of recycling receipts are rejected as in- tended.
• Any barcode that consists of an erroneous checksum, invalid EAN-type, improper tax refund or that by any other means do not follow the standards of a valid recycling receipt should be rejected instantly.
The mentioned security checks are performed successfully and denies receipts that are invalid. However, counterfeits that are created skillfully by someone who knows what to do are significantly harder to detect and a few have been approved while testing.
9 Evaluation Results
• Scanning the same receipt more than once should only account for one server update.
The scanner never accepts a receipt that has previously been scanned. This can however be counterproductive as receipts that are printed in the same store with the same amount are rejected as well.
• Users are to be prevented from sharing receipts between each other.
In its current state, users are unable to share receipts for a limited time after scan- ning a receipt. This means that users that are recycling without cashing in the receipt in the store afterwards are able to share it with their friends after some time has expired.
Territorial Map Overview Evaluation The territorial map overview was evaluated by asserting the requirements established in section 7.2. Territorial Map Evaluation were successfully achieved.
• A successfully rendered territory must contain the correct information as is repre- sented in the Firebase database. A territory must be drawn with the correct color, radius, name, coordinates, current owner and recycled value.
In the applications current state a territory which is retrieved from Firebase and rendered on the map is represented correctly. When a territory rendered on the map is examined in relation to its corresponding Firebase data all relevant fields are correctly displayed on the map.
• All territories stored in Firebase database must be retrieved successfully.
When the map loads all territories currently stored in Firebase are successfully drawn.
• The map must fulfill dynamic rendering. If any changes related to territory specifics occur in the Firebase database while a user views the map then the change will be rendered in real time.
When a user views the map and data changes occur in Firebase simultaneously, the map updates all rendered territories in real time. In the applications current state, all territories are redrawn on the map even if only one territory has been affected by a data change.
• On initial load the map must center on the users location if the user has allowed for Pantarevir to access the users location. If the user denies the use of location data then the map must default to the city of Uppsala.
9 Evaluation Results
When the user opens Pantarevir for the first time the user is prompted to allow location services while the application is in use. If the user grants this permission then the map will be centered on the users location and zoomed in to a prede- termined level. If the user denies location services then the map will default to Uppsala. However, the application does not request access to location services again if the application is restarted. The user must manually allow location ser- vices in the device’s system settings.
• Rendering of the map and it territories should occur without noticeable delay.
When the map is loaded there is currently no significant delay if the data reception at the current location is at a normal level i.e. standard usage. However, if the user is located in a place with limited data reception, such as a basement, there is a small delay in the rendering of the map and map territories. This is of course to be expected. However, the main focus of this evaluation was to determine if the redrawing of the territories after a change in Firebase data would be done without significant delays. If, for example a user views a territory and a data change occurs there is a small delay when the territories are redrawn. All territories disappear for what can be estimated to be a couple of milliseconds before being redrawn.
This is assumed to be a result of all territories being redrawn even if only one single territory has been affected by a change in data.
Statistical Representation Evaluation Results The statistical representation was evaluated by asserting the requirements established in section 7.3. Statistical Rep- resentation Evaluation were successfully achieved.
• The information presented must always follow the predetermined formula and present a correct result for different amounts within a realistic interval ranging to at least 100 000 SEK.
By manually inserting different amounts consisting of both integers and decimals between 0 and 100 000, the statistical representation behaves like intended. This is also the case for the number of decimals being greater than one which is rounded down and is always represented as one.
• The information must be updated in real time through the database and always display the correct information based on the recent updated value.
When the user has updated the amount, the information in the statistical represen- tation are also updated in real time, thus displaying the updated statistics at the moment the user enters the statistical view.
10 Results and Discussion
User Chart Evaluation Results The statistical representation was evaluated by asserting the requirements established in section 7.4. (User Chart Evaluation) were successfully achieved.
• The users in the user chart must always be presented with the correct amount in descending order with a maximum representation of 20 users. Also, all infor- mation presented for each user shall be correct, that is the full name and profile picture together with the correct amount.
The user chart only reveals the top 20 users with the highest amounts. They are also sorted correctly in a descending order where users who share the same amount as other users are placed in a fixed position relative to the users with the same amount. Information regarding a specific user is also presented correctly.
• The user chart must be updated in real time and always display the current infor- mation, without having the user reload the user chart view.
When updating the amount information in the database, the user chart automati- cally updates to the latest information provided from the database, which happens in real-time. This also applies to the rankings which update in real time relative to the new amounts being updated.
10 Results and Discussion
This section provides a thorough presentation and discussion of the project’s final re- sults. It is divided into several subsections; presenting and discussing each vital part of the application separately.
10.1 Barcode Scanner
The finalized barcode scanner works as intended in terms of the fundamental func- tionality. The scanner implementation registers valid recycling receipts with close to unnoticeable delays. The need for user interaction when scanning is diminished by au- tomatically freezing the camera view when a barcode is detected. Further, barcodes can be captured not only aligned in portrait mode but also upside-down and sideways.
The scanner’s ability of interpreting an amount from a recycling receipt is successful to the extent that is currently possible. This is a result of stores practicing two different types of receipt validation. The most common one (which is the one that the scanner
10 Results and Discussion
is currently most successful at reading) makes use of certain digits of the EAN-code at certain positions which the cashier system is later able to decode to the correct amount.
The scanner has, during exhaustive testing, never failed reading a valid barcode of this type.
The second type of validation however exercises a more complex decoding scheme which is individual to each store. By using this method, the EAN-number of the barcode is just a reference to the cashier system of that particular store. When the receipt is scanned by the cash register, it validates the receipt using their internal system. The ability to read these receipts are impossible without having access to that specific store’s internal decoding system. Nonetheless, stores that use both methods of validation have been encountered and receipts at these stores have been successfully read. Calibration of interpreting receipts of this type is a work in progress but the group is confident these will reach high success rates. The stores which actively exercises solely the reference method are however far from common according to the group’s own encounters and will be excluded from the application.
The implemented security checks are currently successful at hindering attempts of most faulty scans. Receipts that do not follow a standardized recycling receipt pattern are rejected immediately. A receipt is validated in terms of EAN-type, store, amount, check- sum and various other factors. Any receipt which has been previously scanned by the user is denied access to perform an amount update on the Firebase server.
Users are in Pantarevir’s current implementation also unable to share receipts between each other for a fixed time. The reasoning behind having a fixed time instead of a indefinite time is that during that time, no other user is able to scan in the same store with the same amount. The probability of this occurring should be seen as slim and thus the current implementation seems acceptable. A possible tweak of this could be to also include the location data of the user at the time of each scan. This way a scan made from a second user within an arbitrary radius of the first user using the same barcode could be rejected. This is of course easily avoided by any user that knows about its implementation.
Skillfully created counterfeits made from someone with information about the barcode structure of recycling receipts has unfortunately been let through by the security con- trols. The problematic part of this is that it will be very challenging improving the system to stop approving these kinds of forgeries. Reasonable solutions at this point includes creating specific security checks for every individual store and implementing a system for monitoring users who show an unusual high rate of failed scans or by other means suspicious activity. Implementation details of these solutions are however yet to be determined.
10 Results and Discussion
10.2 Territorial Map Overview
The territorial map overview was implemented successfully. The results from the eval- uation detailed in section 9. Evaluation Results showed that most of the functionality which was implemented work at least adequately well. The territories are rendered suc- cessfully and the system interacts well with the Firebase database. The data-retrieval works well when on the first initial load when the user accesses the map from the main menu. The map renders the territories dynamically by redrawing all the territories as soon as and change in data regarding one territory occurs in Firebase. This will perhaps affect performance as it causes unnecessary calculations on the user’s mobile device. If the application is to be implemented on a larger scale then this issue must be addressed.
However, it is an adequate implementation for the current application as the number of territories available are limited to those within Uppsala.
The algorithms behind the data-retrieval could be optimized by only updating specific territories which have undergone a change in data. In the current implementation there is a small but noticeable delay during the re-rendering of territories on the map. The duration of the delay is a matter of milliseconds, which is tolerable but unnecessarily long. During usage a user may be located in an area with limited network reception and this delay may prove to become much longer, which must be taken into consideration.
By optimizing data-retrieval, the map overview will most probably render territories more fluently and enhance the users’ experience.
The territorial map may be improved further by optimizing the handling of user location data. In the application’s current implementation the application makes a request for location data access to allow the map to center its focus on the user’s current coordinates.
If the user denies this request the application defaults to Uppsala’s coordinates on initial load of the map. If the user has a change of heart and wishes to enable location services later on, then the user must do this manually in the mobile devices system settings. It would perhaps be preferable for the application to re-request location data access if the user enters the map view a second time. If the request is denied once again then no additional requests will be made.
10.3 Statistical Estimations
With environmental awareness in mind, mentioned in 3.1. Purpose, the statistical es- timations had to be close to the real data, thus be based on decently estimated values.
Therefore, a large amount of time was spent on calculating and estimating the statistical data in detail.
10 Results and Discussion
According to measurements made by Hydro in 2011 [16], it has been estimated that 1 kilogram of recycled aluminum spares the environment around 20 kilograms of CO2. This can be converted to 0.2886 kilograms of CO2 per can, assuming the weight of an aluminum can being 14.43 grams. This is based on the environmental report by Returpack AB [15]. For the energy savings per can, it has been estimated that every recycled aluminum can with a weight of 14.43 grams saves 0.2 kWh of energy according to the environment statistics [21] by Returpack AB. This has in turn been based on the sustainability report made by Rexam [26] in 2011.
The amount of CO2 emission savings for recyclable plastic bottles is estimated to be 1,3 kilograms of CO2 per 1 kilogram of plastic, according to Good Practices Guide On Waste Plastics Recycling - A Guide By And For Local And Regional Authorities by ACRR [1]. By looking at the statistics presented in the environmental report by Returpack AB, it can be estimated that the weight of a 50 centiliter bottle corresponds to 25.23 grams and a 150 centiliter bottle corresponds to 44.76 grams. This is equivalent to 0.03 kilograms of CO2emissions for each bottle of 50 centiliters and 0.06 kilograms of CO2 emissions for each bottle of 150 centiliters. In the environmental report from Returpack ABit has been estimated that 1 kilogram of recyclable plastic bottles saves 5.26 kWh of energy, based on Plastics in the UK - a report from Waste Watch [32]
from 2003. This results in energy savings of 0.13 kWh per 50 centiliter bottle and 0.24 kWh per 150 centiliter bottle, with an estimated weight of 25.23 grams and 44.76 grams respectively.
Because of estimated statistics regarding recycled bottles, it can be seen as problematic to measure the presented estimations made. Furthermore, cited reports dated a few years back might be somewhat inaccurate due to eventual improvements in energy and CO2
emission saving methods over the years. However, future measurements are possible in a scenario where updated and more detailed statistics have been researched.
10.4 The Application Performance
During the development process, concept pictures (see fig. 1) of the different parts in the application were created which have been followed. A comparison of the concept pictures can be made with the finished design presented in section 8. The Finished Design. The final resulting design is close to the original concept with the exception of minor adjustments throughout the development. It is always of great importance to have a fast and responsive application that does not create distractions for the user as a result of, for example, application crashes, slow loading or bad optimization for all supported devices.
11 Conclusions
The final resulting application behaves well and as intended when it comes to perfor- mance. There have been few signs of bad performance, such as long loading times, crashes et cetera. The instances where the application has undergone long loading times have all been related to the data-retrieval from Firebase. Apart from small issues with data-retrieval, the application has performed well on all supported devices. However, stress tests where a vast number of active users simultaneously perform operations in the application have yet to be made. This is a result from not having enrolled for the Apple Developer Program [9], which prevents having users to test the application on their personal phones.
11 Conclusions
Swedes are one of the most frequently recycling populations in the world with a recy- cling rate of approximately 84.4% in 2015. The project set out with the goal to further increase this number of recycled cans and bottles by the concept of eco-gamification.
It is built upon the perception that fusing already existing technology with the natural strive of competition within people can raise environmental awareness and shape re- cycling habits for the better. The project’s aim is to include those people that lack the proper motivation to recycle and the concept of gamification has been a proven approach for boosting an intended cause. The resulting research has been conducted into Pantare- vir: an iPhone application that utilizes competitive human traits by allowing people to compete for local territories by scanning their recycling receipts.
The phrase ’designing fun’ was coined in the early stages of development and has been a key endeavor throughout the project. Fulfilling this ambition and using it as an exten- sion to the already present monetary compensation, when recycling was thought to give a substantial increase in recycling statistics. The resulting product has been successful in proving that it is in fact possible to turn something rather tedious into something mean- ingful and entertaining. Although the application is yet to be released to the public and thus lacks proper user evaluation in terms of recycling statistics, it has engaged alpha testers in terms of entertainment to an extent far beyond the group’s initial expectations.
The external partner, Pantamera, has shown interest in continuing the cooperation after the project’s finalization and a presentation of the product is to be held at the headquar- ters of Returpack AB.
12 Future Work
12 Future Work
There are a few improvements that can be made to improve security for reading bar- codes, but besides that, all functions included from the original concept have been im- plemented. There are however a number of implementations that can be included in a future expansion of the application. They are as follow:
12.1 Uploading Profile Picture
As of now, users who do not log in via Facebook in the application will only have access to a standard profile picture which currently is the logotype for Pantarevir. This is a useful function that needs to be implemented if the application gets released to the public in order to be able to differentiate registered users without Facebook accounts.
12.2 Support For the Donation Button
Stores that offer a recycling station have in most cases a button for donation pur- poses. The donation purpose varies depending on the store but includes donations to the Swedish Red Cross [29] and the Swedish development cooperation organization Vi Agroforestry[31].
A possible expansion would be to offer users who donate different in-game perks, such as a boost in radius when claiming territories or in some way distinguish users who have donated, which might increase the number of donations from people recycling.
12.3 Friend Invitation
By letting registered users invite friends by either Facebook or e-mail it might lead to an increase in the user base. This is highly important for an online competitive game which is based on having a large user base. In order to motivate users to invite friends, different kinds of in-game perks may be offered to the user for motivational purposes.
Territories Among Friends In order to involve more players, an expansion of the game can be created where groups of friends can compete with each other. By having a separate view for all territories which are only accessible by the friends of a user, users
