Transmogrification: casual manipulation of visualizations

A transmogrifier is a novel interface that enables quick, on-the-fly graphic transformations. A region of a graphic can be specified by a shape and transformed into a destination shape with real-time, visual feedback. Both origin and destination shapes can be circles, quadrilaterals or arbitrary shapes defined through touch. Transmogrifiers are flexible, fast and simple to create and invite use in casual InfoVis scenarios, opening the door to alternative ways of exploring and displaying existing visualizations (e.g., rectifying routes or rivers in maps), and enabling free-form prototyping of new visualizations (e.g., lenses).PostprintPostprin

Chemical structure of a humus-like pigment

4 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, 19 references.The chemical structure of a humus-like pigment from Eurotium echinuLatum Delacr. was studied by means of reductive cleavage with sodium amalgam and pyrolytic gas chromatography. The principal components of this compound were hydroxytoluenes and pheno1s. Anthraquinones were also identified. The pigment is a phenolic polymer with polypeptides or proteins bound to the aromatic nucleus.Peer reviewe

Quantitative measurement of virtual vs. physical object embodiment through kinesthetic figural after effects

Over the past decade, multi-touch surfaces have become commonplace, with many researchers and practitioners describing the benefits of their natural, physical-like interactions. We present a pair of studies that empirically investigates the psychophysical effects of direct interaction with both physical and virtual artefacts. We use the phenomenon of Kinesthetic Figural After Effects-a change in understanding of the physical size of an object after a period of exposure to an object of different size. Our studies show that, while this effect is robustly reproducible when using physical artefacts, this same effect does not manifest when manipulating virtual artefacts on a direct, multi-touch tabletop display. We contribute quantitative evidence suggesting a psychophysical difference in our response to physical vs. virtual objects, and discuss future research directions to explore measurable phenomena to evaluate the presence of physical-like changes from virtual on-screen objects

Multi-touch pinch gestures: Performance and ergonomics

Multi-touch gestures are prevalent interaction techniques for many different types of devices and applications. One of the most common gestures is the pinch gesture, which involves the expansion or contraction of a finger spread. There are multiple uses for this gesture - zooming and scaling being the most common - but little is known about the factors affecting performance and ergonomics of the gesture motion itself. In this note, we present the results from a study where we manipulated angle, direction, distance, and position of two-finger pinch gestures. The study provides insight into how variables interact with each other to affect performance and how certain combinations of pinch gesture characteristics can result in uncomfortable or difficult pinch gestures. Our results can help designers select faster pinch gestures and avoid difficult pinch tasks. © 2013 ACM

Ubiquitous Cursor: A Comparison of Direct and Indirect Pointing Feedback in Multi-Display Environments

Multi-display environments (MDEs) connect several displays into a single digital workspace. One of the main problems to be solved in an MDE’s design is how to enable movement of objects from one display to another. When the real-world space between displays is modeled as part of the workspace (i.e., Mouse Ether), it becomes difficult for users to keep track of their cursors during a transition between displays. To address this problem, we developed the Ubiquitous Cursor system, which uses a projector and a hemispherical mirror to completely cover the interior of a room with usable low-resolution pixels. Ubiquitous Cursor allows us to provide direct feedback about the location of the cursor between displays. To assess the effectiveness of this directfeedback approach, we carried out a study that compared Ubiquitous Cursor with two other standard approaches: Halos, which provide indirect feedback about the cursor’s location; and Stitching, which warps the cursor between displays, similar to the way that current operating systems address multiple monitors. Our study tested simple cross-display pointing tasks in an MDE; the results showed that Ubiquitous Cursor was significantly faster than both other approaches. Our work shows the feasibility and the value of providing direct feedback for cross-display movement, and adds to our understanding of the principles underlying targeting performance in MDEs. KEYWORDS: Multi-display environments, mouse ether, perspective cursor, ubiquitous cursor, large displays, targeting

Mine, Yours, Ours : Coordination through Workspace Arrangements and Territoriality in Tabletop Interaction

Previous research shows that territories help people coordinate their task and social interaction at large interactive tabletops. However, little is known about the interplay between territorially and the reorientation of digital objects and their influence on task performance. In this paper, we advance the hypothesis that territories are states of spatial arrangements continually changing during the collaborative activity and seek to better understand their role as a main mechanism in coordinating group activities. We report results from an explorative tabletop study that compares two types of technical settings workspaces supporting a brainstorming task. Our results show evidence of different territorial strategies dependent on the two conditions. We discuss the role of territoriality and orientation of digital notes as a mechanism for coordinating group activity and their influence on task performance and outcome. Finally, we present design recommendations derived from our findings.publishe

Comparison of user performance in mixed 2D-3D multi-display environments

Stereoscopic displays and volumetric 3D displays capable of delivering 3D views have in use for many years. These standalone displays have been investigated in detail for their impact on users’ viewing experiences. Effects like aesthenopia and nausea are well-known for flat-screen based stereoscopic displays. However, these devices have not been tested in the context of multi-display environments (MDEs). The performance cost of repetitive switching between a 3D (stereo or volumetric) display and a standard 2D display are not known. In this paper, we perform a thorough user study where we investigate the effects of using such 3D displays within the context of a MDE. We report on our findings and discuss the implications of the same on designs involving such hybrid setups. Our experiments show that in the condition involving two 2D displays which allow for motion parallax and perspective correction, the participants performed the task the fastest