Senspectra: a computationally augmented physical modeling toolkit for sensing and visualization of structural strain

Authors:
Vincent LeClerc;Amanda Parkes;Hiroshi Ishii
Affiliations:
Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA;Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA;Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA
Venue:
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2007

Citing 6
Cited 10

Tangible bits: towards seamless interfaces between people, bits and atoms

Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human factors in computing systems
Triangles: tangible interface for manipulation and exploration of digital information topography

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The nature of mathematical modeling

The nature of mathematical modeling
Tangible interaction + graphical interpretation: a new approach to 3D modeling

Proceedings of the 27th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques
Pushpin Computing System Overview: A Platform for Distributed, Embedded, Ubiquitous Sensor Networks

Pervasive '02 Proceedings of the First International Conference on Pervasive Computing
Sensate Media — Multimodal Electronic Skins as Dense Sensor Networks

BT Technology Journal

Posey: instrumenting a poseable hub and strut construction toy

Proceedings of the 2nd international conference on Tangible and embedded interaction
Escape machine: teaching computational thinking with a tangible state machine game

IDC '08 Proceedings of the 7th international conference on Interaction design and children
A tangible construction kit for exploring graph theory

Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction
Opportunities for actuated tangible interfaces to improve protein study

CHI '09 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Tangible sketching in 3D with posey

CHI '09 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Tangible User Interfaces: Past, Present, and Future Directions

Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction
Bosu: a physical programmable design tool for transformability with soft mechanics

Proceedings of the 8th ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems
Reconfigurable tangible devices for 3D virtual object manipulation by single or multiple users

Proceedings of the 17th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology
Hyperform specification: designing and interacting with self-reconfiguring materials

Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
KidCAD: digitally remixing toys through tangible tools

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.01

Visualization

Abstract

We present Senspectra, a computationally augmented physical modeling toolkit designed for sensing and visualization of structural strain. Senspectra seeks to explore a new direction in computational materiality, incorporating the material quality of malleable elements of an interface into its digital control structure. The system functions as a decentralized sensor network consisting of nodes, embedded with computational capabilities and a full spectrum LED, and flexible joints. Each joint functions as an omnidirectional bend sensing mechanism to sense and communicate mechanical strain between neighboring nodes. Using Senspectra, a user incrementally assembles and refines a physical 3D model of discrete elements with a real-time visualization of structural strain. While the Senspectra infrastructure provides a flexible modular sensor network platform, its primary application derives from the need to couple physical modeling techniques utilized in architecture and design disciplines with systems for structural engineering analysis. This offers direct manipulation augmented with visual feedback for an intuitive approach to physical real-time finite element analysis, particularly for organic forms.