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T-Mobile Park – Seattle Mariners Baseball

Full-Body Interactive Baseball Experiences
Sparks, 2020 (postponed by covid-19)

Creative Technology Concept Design
Storyboarding Gameplay Definition
User Flows Spatial Testing
Camera Testing Hardware Co-ordination



At T-Mobile Park (formerly Safeco Field), client T-Mobile asked Sparks to design and deploy a series of baseball-related fan experiences. Located in the home of the Seattle Mariners, these interactive pieces are designed to appeal to baseball fans while integrating branding elements from both T-Mobile and the Seattle Mariners.

In 'Strike Zone', fans step onto a simulated pitcher's mound to pitch against a virtual batter, as an engaging re-enactment of pitching on the mound at T-Mobile Park. When they physically wind up and deliver a 'pitch', camera vision technology, motion tracking, and AR computing captures the user's body motions and calculates a 'pitch' that is portrayed on screen.

Similarly, 'Batter's Box' provides the equivalent experience of virtually hitting at home plate at T-Mobile Park. Both combine full-body movements and with digital interactions to create a uniquely contextual gameplay experience.




A three-camera set-up (with RGB and depth camera data) connects to a dedicated PC running a custom Unity program.




Rendering and construction views of the custom booth in the T-Mobile Park concourse.


Let's design interactive pieces that use available digital and physical computing technology to simulate baseball gameplay moments.



'Batter's Box': initial user flow storyboard, outlining the gameplay and user experience.




'Batter's Box': screenshots / user flow of an in-progress Unity build (by technology developer).




'Strike Zone': initial user flow storyboard, outlining the gameplay and user experience.




'Strike Zone': screenshots / user flow of an in-progress Unity build (by technology developer).


What size and shape of space works best for these experiences?



Photo analyses of full-size prototypes of the 'Strike Zone' and 'Batter's Box' footprints, to determine required and recommended dimensions to best accomodate the bodily baseball actions of pitching and hitting.




Tests, screenshots, and diagrams comparing the RealSense D435 and Azure Kinect cameras, to determine their fields of view in relation to user's bodies within the available physical space.




In-person testing of 'Strike Zone' and 'Batter's Box', evaluating for responsiveness, game logic, game physics, and user experience.




Feedback notes sent to the technology (Unity) developer, based on evaluations of a full-scale video projection of game screenshots.




Installation and tuning on-site at T-Mobile Park.




Video excerpt of in-progress Unity build of 'Batter's Box' pitching interactive.




Interactive map of stadium amenities, adjacent to 'Batter's Box' and 'Strike Zone'. Analytical diagrams testing various options for size and location of touchscreen, to optimize usability and ergonomics for conventional and differently-abled ADA users.