Human-Computer Interaction

Touché is a new sensing technology that proposes a Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing technique that can not only detect a touch event, but simultaneously recognize complex configurations of the human fingers, hand and body during touch interaction. This allows to significantly enhances touch interfaces in a broad range of applications, from conventional touchscreens to designing novel interaction scenarios for unique contexts and materials, such as human body and liquids. [More...]

We have discovered a way to turn living plants into high-fidelity surround sound systems. While musing upon design improvements for wearable sound panels, we realized that many of the mechanical design criteria were evident: in the structure of a large tropical leaf. We demonstrated a noninvasive coupling of the magnetostrictive actuators to several species of plants (banana, elephant ear, bird of paradise), gunnera) with compelling results. The magic is hearing the sound and seeing only a plant. We propose that an opportunity exists for rapid commercialization and deployment in theme parks and resorts, restaurants and other areas.

An integral part of the Disney theme park experience for most young children is the chance to interact with their favorite characters brought to life. To talk to a princess or other face character can be a magical moment. Our goal is to explore ways to bring this same level of engagement to fur characters, autonomous animated characters, and robotic characters. Our current focus is improving and combining distant speech recognition (i.e., speech input without a close-talk microphone) with mechanisms for tracking turn-taking and on- and off-task behavior in simple character-led games.

Mobile projectors are small projectors that can be embedded in handheld computing devices such as smartphones and tablets. Market research predicts that as many as 39 million devices with embedded projectors will be on the market by 2014. Developing new interfaces for mobile projectors opens up a range of possibilities for interactive experiences in both work and play. (Projects included: MotionBeam; SideBySide) [More...]

Surround Haptics is a new tactile technology that uses a low- resolution grid of inexpensive vibrating actuators to generate high- resolution, continuous, moving tactile strokes on human skin. It is based on a carefully designed and thoroughly evaluated algorithm that uses tactile illusions to create and move virtual actuators anywhere on a grid. The technology has implications in the video games, movies, rides, toys, consumer products, medical devices, assistive devices, sporting equipments and more. (Projects include: Tactile Brush; Immersive Tactile Experiences) [More]

We present a new technology for enhancing touch interfaces with tactile feedback. The proposed technology is based on the electrovibration principle, does not use any moving parts and provides a wide range of tactile feedback sensations to fingers moving across a touch surface. When combined with an interactive display and touch input, it enables the design of a wide variety of interfaces that allow the user to feel virtual elements through touch. [More]

We present a new tongue input device, the tongue joystick, for use by an actor inside an articulated-head character costume. Using our device, the actor can maneuver through a dialogue tree, selecting clips of prerecorded audio to hold a conversation in the voice of the character. [More...]

We have developed a lightweight, robust and high quality loudspeaker that can be comfortably worn by a performer and concealed in a costume. Our initial prototypes use magnetostrictive actuators coupled with flexible composite panels. Current versions use a composite lattice under a fabric skin, and provide greater fidelity, comfort and flexibility. We are also developing a custom actuator tailored to this application.