Overview
Participants will design interactive storytelling systems grounded in Indian Knowledge Systems, implemented through immersive (VR-based) or embodied (social-agent-based) platforms. Submissions will be executed and evaluated for technical correctness, IKS grounding, engagement design, and research potential.
IKS Story Corpus
- Upanishadic and philosophical narratives
- Itihasa and Purāṇic stories
- Panchatantra and Jātaka moral tales
- Indigenous and Himalayan oral traditions
Tracks
- Embodied Storytelling Track: Social/embodied agents emphasizing affect, engagement, and embodied cognition.
- Immersive Storytelling Track: Virtual/immersive environments emphasizing attention, immersion, and narrative-driven moral choices.
Competition Structure
Stage 1: Virtual Preliminary Round (Online)
- Submit executable code, a short demo video, and a concise design note (story choice, intent, interaction method).
- Submissions are executed and verified by the organizing team for reproducibility and fairness.
- Top-ranked teams are shortlisted for the final round.
Stage 2: Final Round (On Campus during MBCC 2026)
- Shortlisted teams present live at IIT Mandi during MBCC 2026.
- Teams demonstrate their interactive storytelling system and explain design choices from cognitive science, moral psychology, consciousness studies, and IKS perspectives.
Evaluation Criteria
- Functional correctness and robustness
- Narrative coherence and IKS grounding
- Quality of interaction and engagement
- Innovation and originality
- Research and publication potential
Awards & Research Outcomes
- Top 3 Teams: Certificates of Excellence (MBCC 2026)
- Research Opportunity: Winners may be invited to co-author research papers with MBCC faculty and researchers
- Benchmark datasets and publishable artefacts from the competition
Methodology (Indicative)
Participants may implement their system using any suitable interactive or immersive platform that supports reproducible execution. Indicative examples (non-restrictive) include social/expression-capable robotic platforms and game-engine-based immersive storytelling environments (e.g., Loona or similar social robots; Delightex or comparable immersive storytelling tools). Execution and evaluation guidelines will be shared with participants.
Eligibility
Open to students, researchers, and practitioners. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged (AI, cognitive science, psychology, design, HCI, IKS, humanities).
Team size: 3–5 members.
Registration & Fees
- Entry fee: No entry fee
- MBCC registration: Required only for shortlisted finalists who participate in the on-campus final round.
Contact
For competition-related queries: acslab@iitmandi.ac.in