Almost three decades after the computer mouse started its triumph with the Apple Macintosh, it is about time for a next generation of Human-Computer-Interaction: Although robust and intuitive, the mouse does not completely reflect the interactions paradigms of the real world.
The challenge remained (almost) the same: Create input devices and software which is (even more) intuitive for first time users. This new generation seems to be found in multitouch tabletop environments, which provide hands on experience and offer a wider domain of usage scenarios. However, current multitouch solutions lack in a way of intuitively switching between two important modes: moving the objects and editing their content, i.e., drawing or writing.
Our Solution
DFKI has developed a novel rear-projection tabletop called Touch & Write. It combines infrared technology for the normal touching and moving with the digital pen technology for high resolution handwriting. This allows an intuitive switch between the modes object manipulation, and content editing.
Touch & Write is an innovative new platform for creating applications, that users find natural to use. It seamlessly integrates the paper world into the digital world. Editing, arranging and writing tasks can be easily performed in an intuitive way.
The construction of Touch & Write as a table top environment encourages collaborative settings. Users surround the table, discuss their ideas and work together. Since intuitive handwriting is allowed as an input metaphor, the creativity is furthermore supported.
Our Touch & Write table is a unique single rear projection table which integrates hybrid technologies for touching and writing. Through this hybrid approach DFKI provides a unique and highly innovative technology for collaborative knowledge work.
Multitouch
Multitouch technology allows for an unlimited number of interaction points with a device. Touch & Write uses the Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR) technique for providing the table with multitouch reactivity. This enables the users to have hands on interaction with the software. Therefore, the users are able interact with applications in similar ways as they would interact with real objects on the table.
Digital Pen
What makes Touch & Write unique, is the integration of a digital pen along with the standard infrared-camera based multi-touch metaphor. This is done using the Anoto digital pen technology. The Anoto technology allows the pen to analyze a unique and to the human eye almost invisible dot pattern that is printed on the paper. A camera mounted in the top of the pen sees this pattern and calculates the exact pen position. The mapping with the screen-coordinates is done using the iPaper-framework of the Globis Group at ETH Zürich. Note that pen-gestures and handwriting can thus be resolved much more precisely than with an IR-camera.
Handwriting Recognition
For handwriting recognition, we use MyScript by Vision Objects. Vision Objects develops and markets MyScript, highly accurate on-line handwriting recognition technology. MyScript is designed to offer an easy-to-use and ergonomic alternative for text input using pen-based user interfaces. MyScript provides the highest recognition accuracy in the market with outstanding confidence scores and dramatically low error rates.
Touch & Write is a research prototype at DFKI. We are currently searching for companies interested in our technology who would like to support further research or industry projects aiming to develop applications useful for specific domains. Furthermore, we are eager to participate in research projects concerning tabletops which also make use of the writing metaphor.
If you are interested in further information, please contact Marcus Liwicki: marcus.liwicki . at . dfki.de