Augmenting Interactive Tables with Mice & Keyboards

Authors:
*Björn Hartmann, Meredith Ringel Morris, Hrvoje Benko, Andrew D. Wilson
(Microsoft Research, *Stanford University HCI Group)

Summary:
In previous research, multi-touch surfaces are seen as an alternative to keyboards and mice, and thus the two input choices seem to become mutually exclusive. This research team seeks to combine theses inputs to eliminate the limitations found in using either input type by itself. The integration of mice and keyboards offer three main functionalities - high precision/performance input, interacting with distant objects in a minimal way, and serving as proxies for the positions and identifications of users on the surface itself.

The authors give the example of three students working together on a project using a multi-touch table and individual mice and keyboards. The students are able to lock files onto their keyboards, combine inputs to work on files simultaneously, share their items with each others' work areas, and access unique files by logging in via their identified input devices.

In order to link digital files to keyboards, users can either move the files across the table and dock them, or they can move their keyboard onto the files. Both accomplish claiming files as under their ownership via collision detection. To collaborate, simply bring another input device into close proximity to link it (note that you must have the same orientation, as in keyboards approximately face the same direction).

Mice are used to manipulate distant objects that might be awkward to reach otherwise. In this way, the cursor behaves similar to how a user's finger would when selecting items on the surface. But what if the table is cluttered with cursors? In such a case, a line is projected from the mouse to its cursor across the table surface. Proximity again comes into play when linking a keyboard to a mouse. A user can touch the two devices together, or use the mouse to click on the outline of the keyboard if it is resting on the table.

The above figure shows what the researchers have so far tested their combined input design on. In the future, they plan on exploring ways to incorporate multiple users at different locations using the same surface.

Discussion:
The functionality of this idea is awesome. After reading this article, I can't imagine not being able to do this with a multi-touch surface. It seems so natural to be able to interact with touch surfaces via single input devices that I am already familiar with. The possibilities for collaboration and simultaneous multiple users are very well outlined, showing that a multi-touch table can serve some of the same functions as a regular tabletop. Pretty cool!

An example of collaboration: D) group searching H) group writing