This paper describes research from the author’s PhD studies that explore the use and development of digital tools and methods to enable prototyping and fabrication of digital artefacts that may belong in the next generation of ubiquitous or pervasive computing. By expanding from the current interest in physical computing, digital making and the DIY culture grown from the Internet, the research aims to show a new direction by an open source approach to the field. It is the author’s thesis that whilst those envisaging the near-future technologies of ubiquitous computing, place much effort on networking protocols and embedded technologies, it is necessary to examine how these technical and mediated connections will be held on a more practical level. In such there is a role for design and creative approaches to act as an interlocutor, both in methods and materials. How in everyday life will understand our networked watch, pen or broach, how could it embody our knowledge or emotions, and could it in turn have its own agency and knowing? This research has focused on three areas of study, methods, tools and communities. In each of these areas, projects have been or are being carried out; case studies, design proposals, participatory tools and the creation of exemplar artefacts. This paper will introduce some of the findings to date. [PDF]

This paper explores how microinteractions as finger gestures allow executing a secondary task without interrupting the manual primary tasks such as driving a car or using a smart stylus. An analyses of Bock’s Grip Taxonomy helps to identify manual primary tasks that have a huge benefit of not being interrupted by secondary tasks to control mobile applications and devices. This vision could offer the possibility to use the mobile phone safely while holding a steering wheel of the car as well as augment the functionality of a smart stylus such as change the stroke width without stopping to write or to draw.
After discussing some in this research field used tracking technologies, such as EMG or depth camera, we explore the benefits and device hardware of our prototype, which uses accelerometers to track finger gestures without disable any hand-skills, like its flexibility or tactile sense. [PDF]

I present a summary of my research dealing with character interaction using handheld projectors. My work draws from the tradition of pre-cinema handheld projectors that use direct physical manipulation to control projected imagery. I build upon this work with a system allowing users to interactively control characters by moving and gesturing with the handheld projector itself. This creates a unified interaction style where input and output are tied together within a single device. I present a prototype handheld platform and several game and augmented reality application scenarios to illustrate the approach. [PDF]

This paper describes novel methods of generating patterns as content for One-Pixel-Displays. These patterns of varying light intensity are created as content elements for One-Pixel- Displays or computer controllable light sources in general. The elements are intended as the language foundations for storytelling within a new medium. We argue that content creation in this field is running behind the hardware devel- opments and therefore needs to be explored. One example presented is the time-based mapping of the vertical position of a simulated bouncing ball to light intensity variations of a light source, in this case a TFT and a DMX-controlled incandescent light bulb. The other example is the mapping of different sound recordings to light. These methods show promising first results for creating content elements. [PDF]

The Feedback Fridge is a system that makes the visualization of nutritional data tangible and thereby more understandable to the user. Using RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology and one inflatable airbag inside every compartment of a refrigerator the fridge reacts on the kind of food that is put into it. Is the food healthy or unhealthy? Low in fat or high in fat? By inflating or deflating the airbags correspondingly the user is shown how nutritious or healthy his food is. This visualization also has a certain preventive effect by pushing food out of the fridge if the airbags get too big. The Feedback Fridge can thereby help enhance people’s health and lead them to a balanced and nutritious diet. [PDF]

In this paper I am presenting TouchSound, a wearable device that generates sounds and music by interacting with everyday objects by hand. By mixing tactile and auditory sensations, TouchSound promotes enjoyable musical experiences. It could be used by musicians to explore new ways to perform music, for educators to teach music to kids, and provide an opportunity for people to play music by touching everyday objects. [PDF]

This paper presents an overview of an ongoing doctoral research project on materiality and tangible user interfaces (TUIs). The aim of the thesis is to address materiality as an important design element of tangible user interfaces and develop a material-based design knowledge for TUIs, e.g. in the form of material-based design patterns and evaluation methods. This is done iteratively in three steps: (1) compilation of interdisciplinary material theories and their application to tangible user interfaces, (2) exploratory prototyping of material-based interaction, and (3) validation of developed design knowledge and evaluation techniques in evaluations of TUI prototypes in different application domains. [PDF]

In this paper I describe my dissertation-in-progress, Art, Engineering, and Invention. This research draws upon a triad of practice, evidence, and theory to discuss how art and engineering can resolve into an interdisciplinary practice of creating innovative technological art as well as technologies. [PDF]

In this paper, I describe how representation, mapping, and interaction create the basis of a framework for discussing the relationships between real and virtual spaces and describe the design of an installation to illustrate these concepts. [PDF]

Authentication in public spaces, such as ATM PIN entry, is inherently susceptible to security attacks based on observation in person or via cameras. This paper briefly introduces the idea of decoupling the authentication process in two separate sub-tasks (the interaction needed for PIN input and its transmission to the terminal), each with different usability and security goals. In order to support this idea, we present two research projects based on multimodal feedback and physical proximity and explain how they fit into this model. [PDF]

Videos

To exemplify my approach, here a couple of PIN entry interfaces based on mobile phones that guarantee security against observation attacks.

1. LuxPass
2. Phone Lock (presented in the paper session at TEI 2011).

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