This paper presents our vision of Human Computer Interaction (HCI): "Tangible Bits." Tangible Bits allows users to "grasp & manipulate" bits in the center of users' attention by coupling the bits with everyday physical objects and architectural surfaces. Tangible Bits also enables users to be aware of background bits at the periphery of human perception using ambient display media such as light, sound, airflow, and water movement in an augmented space. The goal of Tangible Bits is to bridge the gaps between both cyberspace and the physical environment, as well as the foreground and background of human activities. This paper describes three key concepts of Tangible Bits: interactive surfaces; the coupling of bits with graspable physical objects; and ambient media for background awareness. We illustrate these concepts with three prototype systems -- the metaDESK, transBOARD and ambientROOM -- to identify underlying research issues. Keywords tangible user interface, ambient media, gras...

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How can we design displays that foster a sense of presence and awareness... that enhance a sense of community and togetherness... that enable human bonds to grow and flourish? Using five prototypes from the Human Connectedness research group at Media Lab Europe as a context for reflection, this chapter attempts to assemble a framework of questions and strategies for designers to consider when working to achieve these kinds of effects. The prototypes discussed include a media space that connects several physical locations in our organization, a video conference system based on the metaphor of a magic mirror, a video installation that displays layers of recorded social interaction, an ambient display for hospital patients in isolation wards, and a "sports over a distance" application with an "exertion" interface.

Current human-computer interface design is dominated by the graphical user interface approach, where users interact with graphical abstractions of virtual interface devices through a few general-purpose input "peripherals." The thesis develops models and mechanisms for "tangible user interfaces" -- user interfaces which use physical objects, instruments, surfaces, and spaces as physical interfaces to digital information. Prototype applications on three platforms -- the metaDESK, transBOARD, and ambientROOM -- are introduced as examples of this approach. These instances are used to generalize the "GUI widgetry," "optical," and "containers and conduits" interface metaphors. The thesis also develops engineering mechanisms called proxy-distributed or "proxdist" computation, which provide a layered approach for integrating physical objects with diverse sensing, display, communication, and computation capabilities into coherent interface implementations. The combined research provides a vehi...

We propose a set of design dimensions that constitute the axes of a taxonomy for ambient information systems. The dimensions are based on an investigation of a wide range of research projects and related papers. We rank 19 ambient information systems on each axis to demonstrate the utility of the taxonomy. We further discuss other similar taxonomies and compare them to our approach.

We envision that the physical architectural space we inhabit will be a new form of interface between humans and digital information. This paper and video present the design of the ambientROOM, an interface to information for processing in the background of awareness. This information is displayed through various subtle displays of light, sound, and movement. Physical objects are also employed as controls for these "ambient media." Keywords awareness, attention, periphery, ambient media, graspable media, physical interface INTRODUCTION Humans have highly sophisticated capacities for processing multiple information streams. While a particular source of information may occupy the "foreground" of our awareness, many additional sources may concurrently be monitored in the "background." For example, we may have a sense of the weather outside from ambient cues such as light, temperature, sound, and air flow from nearby windows. We may also have an idea of the activities of colleagues in t...

. We envision that the architectural space we inhabit will be a new form of interface between humans and online digital information. This paper discusses Ambient Displays: a new approach to interfacing people with online digital information. Ambient Displays present information within a space through subtle changes in light, sound, and movement, which can be processed in the background of awareness. We describe the design and implementation of two example Ambient Displays, the ambientROOM and Ambient Fixtures. Additionally, we discuss applications of Ambient Displays and propose theories of design of such interfaces based on our initial experiences. 1 INTRODUCTION Ambient \Am"bi*ent\, a. Surrounding, encircling, encompassing, and environing. -Oxford English Dictionary Display \Dis*play"\, n. An opening or unfolding; exhibition; manifestation. -Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Nature is filled with subtle, beautiful and expressive ambient displays that engage ...

Introduction Everyday things are the things we live with. They are the building blocks of our lifeworlds. Many everyday things are not specifically for work or leisure, as they transcend the borders of many activities. Consider, for instance, the use of telephones: we use them at work to coordinate and communicate, but we also use them to talk to friends and familiy. In the case of mobile phones, this is even more evident as we carry the very same device with us, independent of whether we are working, spending time with friends, travelling, etc. As the mobile phone has entered our everyday life, it has also become a personal object that we use to express who we are, our lifestyle, etc. (cf. [50, 79, 82]). The mobile phone is just one example of how computational things increasingly pervade everyday life. Computers are embedded in all sorts of existing kinds of things, such as cameras, cars and watches, transforming and amplifying their original appearances and functionalities

Everyday things are the things we live with. They are the building blocks of our lifeworlds. Many everyday things are not specifically for work or leisure, as they transcend the borders of many activities. Consider, for instance, the use of telephones: we use them at work to

This thesis develops new approaches for people to physically represent and interact with aggregates of digital information. These support the concept of Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs), a genre of human-computer interaction that uses spatially reconfigurable physical objects as representations and controls for digital information. The thesis supports the manipulation of information aggregates through systems of physical tokens and constraints. In these interfaces, physical tokens act as containers and parameters for referencing digital information elements and aggregates. Physical constraints are then used to map structured compositions of tokens onto a variety of computational interpretations. This approach is supported through the design and implementation of several systems. The mediaBlocks system enables people to use physical blocks to “copy and paste ” digital media between specialized