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

Studying multimodal interaction at an interactive museum exhibit on steampower locomotive

This paper discusses an ongoing study of a multimodal installation on the subject matter of steam power locomotives at a transport museum in Glasgow, Scotland. The key issue of the study is the role of multimodal interaction in museum visitors’ experience of exhibits, their engagement with the topic and the exhibit. The paper describes the approach taken to answer these questions which has so far involved observational studies

Experience, engagement and social interaction at a steam locomotive multimodal interactive museum exhibit

This paper describes the on-going study of an interactive multimodal museum exhibit about a steam-powered locomotive at the Riverside Transport Museum in Glasgow, UK. We examine the role of multimodal interaction relating to effects on (1) visitors' experience of the exhibit, (2) engagement with the subject matter, (3) social interaction and (4) engagement with the exhibit itself. We discuss key questions of our study, a set of initial findings, reflections and future work

When the fingers do the talking: A study of group participation for different kinds of shareable surfaces

and other research outputs When the fingers do the talking: A study of group par-ticipation for different kinds of shareable surface

Tangible User Interfaces als kooperationsunterstützendes Medium

This thesis deals with a novel type of computer interfaces that allow users to interact in tangible ways with physical artefacts. It focuses on the observation that such interfaces seem to support cooperative problem solving groups and asks why and how Tangible User Interface designs can support cooperative problem-solving activities.The field of Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) is moving fast, driven mostly by technology-driven proof of concept development, while reflection and theory are sparse. The thesis starts explaining the scope and different approaches to designing TUIs by presenting examples and clarifying the concept and central characteristics of this class of interface. As mixing physical and digital elements will not automatically result in combining advantages of both worlds , it is necessary to know what exactly these advantages are and how they come to be. A literature survey on positive social effects of tangible media on group interaction is therefore synthesized into main lines of arguments. These arguments connect with central characteristics of TUIs. Two empirical studies deepen the understanding reached so far and take the concepts developed to practical use. First a video of a group doing paper prototyping (understood as a tangible medium) is analysed. The second study consists of comparative evaluation of two variants of a system, one based on a touchscreen and one using a TUI interface. Reflection of the evaluation results in a set of design principles which are successfully used in re-designing the TUI variant. Main contributions of this thesis are:- A clarification of the concept of TUIs and their structure and interaction characteristics.- A a systematic overview of social effects of Tangible User Interfaces that encourage cooperation among users.- A set of design heuristics for supporting these social effects of Tangible User Interfaces- A set of design principles derived from the successful re-design of the PitA-Board

From entry to access: How shareability comes about

Shareability is a design principle that refers to how a system, interface, or device engages a group of collocated, co-present users in shared interactions around the same content (or the same object). This is broken down in terms of a set of components that facilitate or constrain the way an interface (or product) is made shareable. Central are the notions of access points and entry points. Entry points invite and entice people into engagement, providing an advance overview, minimal barriers, and a honeypot effect that draws observers into the activity. Access points enable users to join a group's activity, allowing perceptual and manipulative access and fluidity of sharing. We show how these terms can be useful for informing analysis and empirical research

Exploring historical cemeteries as a site for technological augmentation

Tangible and embodied technologies can enrich cultural heritage sites. Their design requires a solid understanding of the specific site, the needs and interests of user communities and stakeholders. Many types of heritage sites have been studied by HCI researchers, however our work focuses on a little-known one: historical cemeteries. Here we describe some early investigations of how the physical and socio-cultural contexts influence potential design solutions for two historic cemeteries, despite of a seemingly similar setting

The Elicitation Interview technique : capturing people’s experiences of data representations

Information visualization has become a popular tool to facilitate sense-making, discovery and communication in a large range of professional and casual contexts. However, evaluating visualizations is still a challenge. In particular, we lack techniques to help understand how visualizations are experienced by people. In this paper we discuss the potential of the Elicitation Interview technique to be applied in the context of visualization. The Elicitation Interview is a method for gathering detailed and precise accounts of human experience. We argue that it can be applied to help understand how people experience and interpret visualizations as part of exploration and data analysis processes. We describe the key characteristics of this interview technique and present a study we conducted to exemplify how it can be applied to evaluate data representations. Our study illustrates the types of insights this technique can bring to the fore, for example, evidence for deep interpretation of visual representations and the formation of interpretations and stories beyond the represented data. We discuss general visualization evaluation scenarios where the Elicitation Interview technique may be beneficial and specify what needs to be considered when applying this technique in a visualization context specifically.PostprintPeer reviewe