Towards More Paper-like Input: Flexible Input Devices for Foldable Interaction Styles

Authors:
David Gallant, Andrew Seniuk, and Roel Vertegaal (Queen's University)

Summary:
In this paper, the authors discuss their newest Foldable Input Device (FID). FIDs are an example of Foldable User Interfaces (FUIs), which combine traditional GUIs with the tangibility of paper inputs. In order to create their FID, the authors put 25-35 IR retro-reflectors onto a cardstock paper (think of it as your typical mouse pad). The IR reflectors are tracked with an augmented webcam that is attached to a computer running Windows XP. Via OpenGL, the motions and manipulations of the FID can be displayed in real time. The digital correspondent to the physical FID is known as a Sheet. Sheets respond to the manipulations of the FID, and multiple Sheets can be controlled by a single FID. Figure 1 shows some of the FID interaction techniques.

Figure 1. Some FID techniques. The extra whitespace on the side brought to you by how lame MS Paint is.

The FID interaction techniques covered in the paper include sliding, scooping, bending, hovering, folding, leafing, shaking, and squeezing. The authors where inspired by the art of Origami, wherein paper is manipulated to make shapes (usually viewed by their shadow). Their FID is thus an input device that is based on manipulating paper in a similar way.

Discussion:
This paper basically went over the different techniques of the new FID as opposed to user tests or any specific applications. The authors do, however, provide quite a lot of enthusiasm for all of the things you can do (even if they aren't sure if anyone would want to use them). I think that the idea behind the input is really cool, but cannot really see myself using a paper input in such a way unless a webpage was structured like a book and I needed to flip through it. For future research, they should find out just how much people care for their FID (no offense guys!).