Tangible User Interfaces - Fall 2011

We are extending the original idea to as follows:

We propose creating an "a physical input area," wherein users positions will be tracked via transmitter. This builds on previous work in which entire rooms were equipped with sensors, except our area will be bounded by four movable transmitters, such that we can control the effective canvas size to be as small or large as we want. In theory, we can transform a desktop into an input field, or an entire room or outside yard.

Users will interact with the area by carrying an emitter in the form of a ball. From here, any number of interactions can be mapped back to a computational projection. Using the fraction puzzle idea for example, children can become the pieces and move around to assemble themselves. Alternately, students can run relay races with the physical input of their speed/rate being tracked by the computer and displayed for educational purposes such as exploring ratio, rates, proportion, etc. etc.

Finally, we can build in a music function, such that different areas of the physical input area correspond with different percussion instruments. A student, jumping up and down at a rate of 1 jump per second, would generate a drum beat of 1 per second. Alternately, higher/shorter jumps will generate longer/shorter beats. We imagine groups of children making a rhythm section by jumping around and or coordinating their actions.