Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions

In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research

Interactive tabletops in education

Interactive tabletops are gaining increased attention from CSCL researchers. This paper analyses the relation between this technology and teaching and learning processes. At a global level, one could argue that tabletops convey a socio-constructivist flavor: they support small teams that solve problems by exploring multiple solutions. The development of tabletop applications also witnesses the growing importance of face-to-face collaboration in CSCL and acknowledges the physicality of learning. However, this global analysis is insufficient. To analyze the educational potential of tabletops in education, we present 33 points that should be taken into consideration. These points are structured on four levels: individual user-system interaction, teamwork, classroom orchestration, and socio-cultural contexts. God lies in the detail

Investigation and development of a tangible technology framework for highly complex and abstract concepts

The ubiquitous integration of computer-supported learning tools within the educational domain has led educators to continuously seek effective technological platforms for teaching and learning. Overcoming the inherent limitations of traditional educational approaches, interactive and tangible computing platforms have consequently garnered increased interest in the pursuit of embedding active learning pedagogies within curricula. However, whilst Tangible User Interface (TUI) systems have been successfully developed to edutain children in various research contexts, TUI architectures have seen limited deployment towards more advanced educational pursuits. Thus, in contrast to current domain research, this study investigates the effectiveness and suitability of adopting TUI systems for enhancing the learning experience of abstract and complex computational science and technology-based concepts within higher educational institutions (HEI)s. Based on the proposal of a contextually apt TUI architecture, the research describes the design and development of eight distinct TUI frameworks embodying innovate interactive paradigms through tabletop peripherals, graphical design factors, and active tangible manipulatives. These computationally coupled design elements are evaluated through summative and formative experimental methodologies for their ability to aid in the effective teaching and learning of diverse threshold concepts experienced in computational science. In addition, through the design and adoption of a technology acceptance model for educational technology (TAM4Edu), the suitability of TUI frameworks in HEI education is empirically evaluated across a myriad of determinants for modelling students’ behavioural intention. In light of the statistically significant results obtained in both academic knowledge gain (μ = 25.8%) and student satisfaction (μ = 12.7%), the study outlines the affordances provided through TUI design for various constituents of active learning theories and modalities. Thus, based on an empirical and pedagogical analyses, a set of design guidelines is defined within this research to direct the effective development of TUI design elements for teaching and learning abstract threshold concepts in HEI adaptations

Measuring readiness-to-hand through differences in attention to the task vs. attention to the tool

New interaction techniques, like multi-touch, tangible inter-action, and mid-air gestures often promise to be more intuitive and natural; however, there is little work on how to measure these constructs. One way is to leverage the phenomenon of tool embodiment—when a tool becomes an extension of one’s body, attention shifts to the task at hand, rather than the tool itself. In this work, we constructed a framework to measure tool embodiment by incorporating philosophical and psychological concepts. We applied this framework to design and conduct a study that uses attention to measure readiness-to-hand with both a physical tool and a virtual tool. We introduce a novel task where participants use a tool to rotate an object, while simultaneously responding to visual stimuli both near their hand and near the task. Our results showed that participants paid more attention to the task than to both kinds of tool. We also discuss how this evaluation framework can be used to investigate whether novel interaction techniques allow for this kind of tool embodiment.Postprin

Designing visitor experience for open-ended creative engagement in art museums: A conceptual multi-touch prototype design

The popularity and influence of digital interaction in museum design has greatly increased along with developments of society and technology. Science museums and natural history museums treat digital interactions, such as multi-touch displays, as important tools in exhibition design that improve the interactivity of visitor experience through open-ended activities. Art museums, however, which mostly focus on displaying art collections and lack hands-on activities in exhibits, have yet to embrace this type of interactivity. The visitor experience in art museums is still relatively passive: their digital interactions are limited to catalogs of art history, which offer few opportunities for personal input. Furthermore, modern art is especially difficult for visitors to interpret and engage. This study is an attempt to address this gap in usage of interactive displays in art museums by introducing open-ended interactions as a way to engage visitors about modern art. It culminates in the design of a multi-touch application, What Inspires You?, to demonstrate possible approaches that can be used to enrich the visitor experience in art museums through educative perspectives. Museum education literature shows that constructivism is an effective theory for guiding interaction design to personalize visitors\u27 learning experiences at museums. The conceptual prototype developed in this study is informed by constructivism and a way for art museums to help visitors bridge modern art and personal experience by engaging them with the inspirations that affect art creation and then allowing them to experiment with artistic expression themselves. The prototype combines concepts of museum interactivity, pedagogies of museum education, and multi-touch interface design to enhance dynamic experience so visitors can create their own unique learning experience. This prototype is a new potential approach that can help art museums to engage their visitors more effectively through open-ended interactivity

Teegi: Tangible EEG Interface

We introduce Teegi, a Tangible ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) Interface that enables novice users to get to know more about something as complex as brain signals, in an easy, en- gaging and informative way. To this end, we have designed a new system based on a unique combination of spatial aug- mented reality, tangible interaction and real-time neurotech- nologies. With Teegi, a user can visualize and analyze his or her own brain activity in real-time, on a tangible character that can be easily manipulated, and with which it is possible to interact. An exploration study has shown that interacting with Teegi seems to be easy, motivating, reliable and infor- mative. Overall, this suggests that Teegi is a promising and relevant training and mediation tool for the general public.Comment: to appear in UIST-ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium, Oct 2014, Honolulu, United State

The effects of changing projection geometry on perception of 3D objects on and around tabletops

Funding: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada.Displaying 3D objects on horizontal displays can cause problems in the way that the virtual scene is presented on the 2D surface; inappropriate choices in how 3D is represented can lead to distorted images and incorrect object interpretations. We present four experiments that test 3D perception. We varied projection geometry in three ways: type of projection (perspective/parallel), separation between the observer’s point of view and the projection’s center (discrepancy), and the presence of motion parallax (with/without parallax). Projection geometry had strong effects different for each task. Reducing discrepancy is desirable for orientation judgments, but not for object recognition or internal angle judgments. Using a fixed center of projection above the table reduces error and improves accuracy in most tasks. The results have far-reaching implications for the design of 3D views on tables, in particular for multi-user applications where projections that appear correct for one person will not be perceived correctly by another.PostprintPeer reviewe