Mid-Air tangible interaction enabled by computer controlled magnetic levitation

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-86).This thesis presents a concept of mid-air tangible interaction and a system called ZeroN that was developed to enable this interaction. Through this research, I extend the tabletop tangible interaction modalities which have been confined to 2D surfaces into 3D space above the surface. Users are invited to place and move a levitated object in the mid-air space, which is analogous to placing objects on 2D surfaces. For example, users can place a physical object that represents the sun above physical objects to cast digital shadows, or place a planet that will start revolving based on simulated physical conditions. To achieve these interaction scenarios, we developed ZeroN, a new tangible interface element that can be levitated and moved freely by computer in a three dimensional space. In doing so, ZeroN serves as a tangible representation of a 3D coordinate of the virtual world through which users can see, feel, and control computation. Our technological development includes a magnetic and mechanical control system that can levitate and actuate a permanent magnet in 3D space. This is combined with an optical tracking and display system that projects images on the levitating object. In this thesis, I present interaction techniques and applications developed in the context of this system. Finally, I discuss initial observations and implications, and outline future development and challenges.by Jinha Lee.S.M

Art and Design Practices as a Driver for Deformable Controls, Textures and Screen Interactions

In this thesis, we demonstrate the innovative uses of deformable interfaces to help de-velop future digital art and design interactions. The great benefits of advancing digital art can often come at a cost of tactile feeling and physical expression, while traditional methods celebrate the diverse sets of physical tools and materials. We identified these sets of tools and materials to inform the development of new art and design interfaces that offer rich physical mediums for digital artist and designers. In order to bring forth these unique inter-actions, we draw on the latest advances in deformable interface technology. Therefore, our research contributes a set of understandings about how deformable interfaces can be har-nessed for art and design interfaces. We identify and discuss the following contributions: insights into tangible and digital practices of artists and designers; prototypes to probe the benefits and possibilities of deformable displays and materials in support of digital-physical art and design, user-centred evaluations of these prototypes to inform future developments, and broader insights into the deformable interface research.Each chapter of this thesis investigates a specific element of art and design, alongside an aspect of deformable interfaces resulting in a new prototype. We begin the thesis by studying the use of physical actuation to simulate artist tools in deformable surfaces. In this chapter, our evaluations highlight the merits of improved user experiences and insights into eyes-free interactions. We then turn to explore deformable textures. Driven by the tactile feeling of mixing paints, we present a gel-based interface that is capable of simulating the feeling of paints on the back of mobile devices. Our evaluations showed how artists endorsed the interactions and held potential for digital oil painting.Our final chapter presents research conducted with digital designers. We explore their colour picking processes and developed a digital version of physical swatches using a mod-ular screen system. This use of tangible proxies in digital-based processes brought a level of playfulness and held potential to support collaborative workflows across disciplines. To conclude, we share how our outcomes from these studies could help shape the broader space of art and design interactions and deformable interface research. We suggest future work and directions based on our findings

tCAD: a 3D modeling application on a depth enhanced tabletop computer

Tabletop computers featuring multi-touch input and object tracking are a common platform for research on Tangible User Interfaces (also known as Tangible Interaction). However, such systems are confined to sensing activity on the tabletop surface, disregarding the rich and relatively unexplored interaction canvas above the tabletop. This dissertation contributes with tCAD, a 3D modeling tool combining fiducial marker tracking, finger tracking and depth sensing in a single system. This dissertation presents the technical details of how these features were integrated, attesting to its viability through the design, development and early evaluation of the tCAD application. A key aspect of this work is a description of the interaction techniques enabled by merging tracked objects with direct user input on and above a table surface.Universidade da Madeir

物理/バーチャル空間の接続と分離を媒介する可動壁に関する研究

Tohoku University博士（情報科学）thesi

KnobSlider:design of a shape-changing UI for parameter control

International audiencePhysical controls are widely used by professionals such as sound engineers or aircraft pilots. In particular knobs and sliders are the most prevalent in such interfaces. They have advantages over touchscreen GUIs, especially when users require quick and eyes-free control. However, their interfaces (e.g., mixing consoles) are often bulky and crowded. To improve this, we present the results of a formative study with professionals who use physical controllers. Based on their feedback, we propose design requirements for future interfaces for parameters control. We then introduce the design of our KnobSlider that combines the advantages of a knob and a slider in one unique shape-changing device. A qualitative study with professionals shows how KnobSlider supports the design requirements, and inspired new interactions and applications

ISAR: Ein Autorensystem für Interaktive Tische

Developing augmented reality systems involves several challenges, that prevent end users and experts from non-technical domains, such as education, to experiment with this technology. In this research we introduce ISAR, an authoring system for augmented reality tabletops targeting users from non-technical domains. ISAR allows non-technical users to create their own interactive tabletop applications and experiment with the use of this technology in domains such as educations, industrial training, and medical rehabilitation.Die Entwicklung von Augmented-Reality-Systemen ist mit mehreren Herausforderungen verbunden, die Endbenutzer und Experten aus nicht-technischen Bereichen, wie z.B. dem Bildungswesen, daran hindern, mit dieser Technologie zu experimentieren. In dieser Forschung stellen wir ISAR vor, ein Autorensystem für Augmented-Reality-Tabletops, das sich an Benutzer aus nicht-technischen Bereichen richtet. ISAR ermöglicht es nicht-technischen Anwendern, ihre eigenen interaktiven Tabletop-Anwendungen zu erstellen und mit dem Einsatz dieser Technologie in Bereichen wie Bildung, industrieller Ausbildung und medizinischer Rehabilitation zu experimentieren

Remixing physical objects through tangible tools

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2011.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-164).In this document we present new tools for remixing physical objects. These tools allow users to copy, edit and manipulate the properties of one or more objects to create a new physical object. We already have these capabilities using digital media: we can easily mash up videos, music and text. However, it remains difficult to remix physical objects and we cannot access the advantages of digital media, which are nondestructive, scalable and scriptable. We can bridge this gap by both integrating 2D and 3D scanning technology into design tools and employing aordable rapid prototyping technology to materialize these remixed objects. In so doing, we hope to promote copying as a tool for creation. This document presents two tools, CopyCAD and KidCAD, the first designed for makers and crafters, the second for children. CopyCAD is an augmented Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) milling machine which allows users to copy arbitrary real world object geometry into 2D CAD designs at scale through the use of a camera-projector system. CopyCAD gathers properties from physical objects, sketches and touch interactions directly on a milling machine, allowing novice users to copy parts of real world objects, modify them and create a new physical part. KidCAD is a sculpting interface built on top of a gel-based realtime 2.5D scanner. It allows children to stamp objects into the block of gel, which are scanned in realtime, as if they were stamped into clay. Children can use everyday objects, their hands and tangible tools to design new toys or objects that will be 3D printed. This work enables novice users to easily approach designing physical objects by copying from other objects and sketching new designs. With increased access to such tools we hope that a wide range of people will be empowered to create their own objects, toys, tools and parts.by Sean Follmer.S.M

感度調整可能な3軸マルチモーダルスキンセンサーモジュールの開発

早大学位記番号:新8538早稲田大

Digital fabrication of custom interactive objects with rich materials

As ubiquitous computing is becoming reality, people interact with an increasing number of computer interfaces embedded in physical objects. Today, interaction with those objects largely relies on integrated touchscreens. In contrast, humans are capable of rich interaction with physical objects and their materials through sensory feedback and dexterous manipulation skills. However, developing physical user interfaces that offer versatile interaction and leverage these capabilities is challenging. It requires novel technologies for prototyping interfaces with custom interactivity that support rich materials of everyday objects. Moreover, such technologies need to be accessible to empower a wide audience of researchers, makers, and users. This thesis investigates digital fabrication as a key technology to address these challenges. It contributes four novel design and fabrication approaches for interactive objects with rich materials. The contributions enable easy, accessible, and versatile design and fabrication of interactive objects with custom stretchability, input and output on complex geometries and diverse materials, tactile output on 3D-object geometries, and capabilities of changing their shape and material properties. Together, the contributions of this thesis advance the fields of digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, and ubiquitous computing towards the bigger goal of exploring interactive objects with rich materials as a new generation of physical interfaces.Computer werden zunehmend in Geräten integriert, mit welchen Menschen im Alltag interagieren. Heutzutage basiert diese Interaktion weitgehend auf Touchscreens. Im Kontrast dazu steht die reichhaltige Interaktion mit physischen Objekten und Materialien durch sensorisches Feedback und geschickte Manipulation. Interfaces zu entwerfen, die diese Fähigkeiten nutzen, ist allerdings problematisch. Hierfür sind Technologien zum Prototyping neuer Interfaces mit benutzerdefinierter Interaktivität und Kompatibilität mit vielfältigen Materialien erforderlich. Zudem sollten solche Technologien zugänglich sein, um ein breites Publikum zu erreichen. Diese Dissertation erforscht die digitale Fabrikation als Schlüsseltechnologie, um diese Probleme zu adressieren. Sie trägt vier neue Design- und Fabrikationsansätze für das Prototyping interaktiver Objekte mit reichhaltigen Materialien bei. Diese ermöglichen einfaches, zugängliches und vielseitiges Design und Fabrikation von interaktiven Objekten mit individueller Dehnbarkeit, Ein- und Ausgabe auf komplexen Geometrien und vielfältigen Materialien, taktiler Ausgabe auf 3D-Objektgeometrien und der Fähigkeit ihre Form und Materialeigenschaften zu ändern. Insgesamt trägt diese Dissertation zum Fortschritt der Bereiche der digitalen Fabrikation, des Rapid Prototyping und des Ubiquitous Computing in Richtung des größeren Ziels, der Exploration interaktiver Objekte mit reichhaltigen Materialien als eine neue Generation von physischen Interfaces, bei