PocoPoco: a tangible device that allows users to play dynamic tactile interaction

  • Authors:

  • Takaharu Kanai;Yuya Kikukawa;Tatsuhiko Suzuki;Tetsuaki Baba;Kumiko Kushiyama

  • Affiliations:

  • Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan;Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan;Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan;Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan;Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hino, Tokyo, Japan

  • Venue:
  • ACM SIGGRAPH 2011 Emerging Technologies
  • Year:
  • 2011

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

Today a tremendous amount of audio and visual information is stuffed onto the flat displays of smart phones. It is no doubt a very convenient age, but a little bit uniform. Our research focuses on interfaces with dynamic movements and interfaces that can change their own shape dynamically [1][2]. We have developed a box-shaped device called PocoPoco which controls the movement of columnar units with built-in solenoid actuators and utilizes them to give users dynamic tactile sensations (see Figure 1). PocoPoco is an input/output device that can be used without visual information, because it can indicate all input/output information through tactile sensations. This device is a versatile interface that can be used in a wide range of applications including games, telecommunication, and musical performance. It was conceived as a "new kind of interface which can be used by both people with visual impairments and people with normal vision".