Paper Reading #14 - PhotoelasticTouch: Transparent Rubbery Tangible Interface using an LCD and Photoelasticity

Comments
Alyssa Nabors
Angel Narvaez

Reference Information
Toshiki Sato, Haruko Mamiya, Hideki Koike, Kentaro Fukuchi, UIST’09, October 4–7, 2009, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Summary
This article is about a system that is similar in nature to Microsoft's Surface technology. Its called PhotoelasticTouch which is described as a table-top interactive type surface that can also recognize objects placed on it and give soft tactile feedback. The display is somewhat elastic and is therefore the most interesting part of the device. This can allow the system to give different kinds of feedback depending on the situation rather than what happens with a hard touch screen surface. The image recognition is done through a fixed camera above the system. Multitouch can be identified by both the camera and also to the surface. The amount of pressure a given finger is putting on the surface can be identified along with somewhat good processing of 3D placement of the finger.

Discussion
It seemed like this type of technology could be a real viable way that artists could use this to innovate in interesting ways. In the article, the subjects were using differently shaped material that could work on the surface in order to "paint" a picture. This could be made to act like different brushes and create nice works of art. The one problem I did see with it was that it required a camera to be on the outside of the system. This could cause problems with lighting conditions since that will always be varying with different locations and throughout the day. Also, what was really interesting was the ability to manipulate a pseudo 3D object with the surface. The user could place a face like object on the surface and mess with the nose sticking up and the system could track this.