Glume is a computationally enhanced translucent modeling medium which offers a generalised modular scalable platform with the physical immediacy of a soft and malleable tangible material.

The Glume system consists of soft and translucent augmented interlocking modules, each embedded with a full spectrum LED, which communicate capacitively to their neighbors to determine a network topology and are responsive to human touch.

We envision Glume as a viable tool for modeling, visualization and simulation of three dimensional data sets in which users construct and manipulate models whose morphology is determined through the distributed system. The Glume system provides a new and novel means for expression and investigation of organic forms and processes not possible with existing materials by relaxing the rigidity of structure in previous solid building block approaches.

by Vincent Leclerc, Amanda Parkes and Professor Hiroshi Ishii of MIT’s Tangible Media Group

AR-Jig is a handheld tool to modify a curve on a digital 3D model by manipulating physical in-line pins of the tool. Once a user selects a target curve, it sticks to the pins’ heads. The movability of the device allows for flexible access to digital 3D data represented in the AR systems. Then the user can control the digital curve (and the surrounding surface) through physical manipulations. The physical form allows users to modify digital 3D data without going back to desktop systems. In addition, the computer can modify the curve by actuating the pins with motors according to some calculations about the model such as size limitations, element layout conditions, and so on. Haptic feedbacks by the actuated pins convey the computer’s suggestions to the user. AR-Jig allows the user and the computer to find a better curve through tangible collaborations/negotiations. While the physical form is not enough to represent all the digital data, virtual views through HMDs allow the users to perceive all the digital 3D data.

Although the target of AR-Jig is complicated 3D data, the structure is still simple. This simple physicality keeps the merits of tangible user interfaces, which are direct, intuitive, and simultaneous manipulations. The direct hand manipulation of AR-Jig is easy to use with HMDs. The intuitive pin manipulation gives an idea to capture a physical contour by pushing the pins against it. The simultaneous multi-pin manipulation lets users control points on a curve quickly. At the same time, AR-Jig also gives the merits of digital user interfaces because of pin actuation, flexible mapping between physical form and digital data, and AR views. The actuation enables numerical manipulations of the pins by using 10 keys on the device. The flexibility enables multi selection and global control of digital data by the local physical manipulation. AR views support data scale changing so that control resolution can be changed. AR-Jig is an interface between simple physicality and complex digitality as well as between human and computer.

by Mahoro Anabuki, Richard Whitney, and Professor Hiroshi Ishii of MIT’s Tangible Media Group

Tangible Disaster Simulation System is a collaborative tool for planning disaster measures based on disaster simulation and evacuation simulation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Built on the Sensetable platform, Tangible-DSS allows multiple users to directly input parameters such as the scale of disasters (ex. Tsunami, earthquake, and fire) and the capacity of a shelter on a projected map. Then, this system simulates and visualises the disaster and the evacuation of people to shelters, under any conditions inputted by users. Tangible-DSS is best suited for use in discussions and collaborative planning scenes, since Sensetable can handle multiple and simultaneous inputs by physical ‘gpuckss’ on the table. Users can effectively examine how much damage from a disaster will be and what kind of measures could prevent the estimated damage.

by Kazue Kobayashi, Shinetsu Tsuchida, Takaharu Omi, Tatsuhito Kakizaki, Takuma Hosokawa, Atsunobu Narita, Mitsunori Hirano, Ichiro Kase, all of NTT Comware, and Professor Hiroshi Ishii of MIT’s Tangible Media Group

Senspectra is a computationally augmented physical modeling toolkit designed for sensing and visualisation of structural strain. The system functions as a distributed sensor network consisting of nodes, embedded with computational capabilities and a full spectrum LED, which communicate to neighbor nodes to determine a network topology through a system of flexible joints. Each joint, while serving as a data and power bus between nodes, also integrates an omnidirectional bend sensing mechanism, which uses a simple optical occlusion technique to sense and communicate mechanical strain between neighboring nodes. Using Senspectra, a user incrementally assembles and refines a physical 3D model of discrete elements with a real-time visualisation of structural strain.

by Vincent Leclerc, Amanda Parkes and Professor Hiroshi Ishii of MIT’s Tangible Media Group