This class is a Computer Science elective that discusses a burgeoning field that combines Computer Science, haptics, human factors, and usability. A Tangible User Interface, or TUI, is comprised of a physical representation of digital information that one is able to touch in order to manipulate the digital data. TUIs are ideal for collaborative work, as more than one person is able to manipulate the data, as it is not confined to the digital world.
A good example of a TUI is the
ReacTable, which is a electro-acoustic instrument with tabletop interface. The ReacTable makes different sounds depending on the location of the different modules, which are the tokens of the interface. The surface is the top of the ReacTable, and the tokens act as constraints on each other as they manipulate each other when placed close together. The ReacTable has been used by Bjork in
live performances in 2007.
