metaDESK, Tangible Geospaces
Updated: 07/04/1997, G. Waloszek
MetaDesk
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The metaDESK with Brygg Ulmer (left) and Hiroshi Ishii (right) |
Purpose
Physical media (phicons = physical icons) serve as an interface between people and computers; in metaDESK they control the display of a map on screen that is displayed on a table
Applications
unclear
Description Given by the Authors
The metaDESK (formerly Active DESK) is our first full platform for exploring the design of tangible user interfaces. The metaDESK integrates multiple 2D and 3D graphic displays with an assortment of physical objects and instruments, sensed by an array of optical, mechanical, and electromagnetic field sensors. The metaDESK "brings to life" these physical objects and instruments as tangible interfaces to a range of graphically-intensive applications. Using metaDESK platform, we are studying issues such as a) the physical embodiment of GUI (graphical user interface) widgets such as icons, handles, and windows; b) the coupling of everyday physical objects with the digital information that pertains to them.
Authors
Professor Hiroshi Ishii, Brygg Ullmer, Dylan Glas and Chris Lopes (MIT)
Tangible Geospaces
Purpose
Physical media (phicons = physical icons) serve as an interface between people and computers; in metaDESK they control the display of a map on screen that is displayed on a table
Applications
unclear
Description Given by the Authors
Tangible Geospaces is the first application of the metaDESK platform. Tangible Geospaces uses physical models of landmarks such as MIT's Great Dome and the Green Building to allow the user to manipulate 2D and 3D graphical maps of the MIT campus. Tangible Geospaces also introduces concepts such as the "passive LENS," a passive optical fiber-bundle which acts as an independent graphics display on the back-projected metaDESK surface.
Authors
Brygg Ullmer, Minpont Chien and Professor Hiroshi Ishii (MIT)
General Information
Description of the Group Given by the Authors
The Tangible Media Group at the Media Laboratory, led by Professor Hiroshi Ishii, is working on developing ways to make bits accessible through everyday physical surfaces (e.g. walls, desktops, ceilings, doors, windows) and everyday objects (e.g. cards, books, models). Our intention is to augment reality by coupling online digital information to physical objects and environments, taking advantage of natural physical affordances to achieve a legibility and seamlessness of interaction not achievable with traditional computer interfaces.
Links
- tangible.www.media.mit.edu/groups/tangible/ (no longer functional)
- tangible.media.mit.edu/