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      • HARVEST
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      Improving digital object handoff using the space above the table

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      SUTCLIFFE-THESIS.pdf (11.07Mb)
      Date
      2013-09-23
      Author
      Sutcliffe, Steven
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      Abstract
      Object handoff – that is, passing an object or tool to another person – is an extremely common activity in collaborative tabletop work. On digital tables, object handoff is typically accomplished by sliding the object on the table surface – but surface-only interactions can be slow and error-prone, particularly when there are multiple people carrying out multiple handoffs. An alternative approach is to use the space above the table for object handoff; this provides more room to move, but requires above-surface tracking. I developed two above-the-surface handoff techniques that use simple and inexpensive tracking: a force-field technique that uses a depth camera to determine hand proximity, and an electromagnetic-field technique called ElectroTouch that provides positive indication when people touch hands over the table. These new techniques were compared to three kinds of existing surface-only handoff (sliding, flicking, and surface-only Force-Fields). The study showed that the above-surface techniques significantly improved both speed and accuracy, and that ElectroTouch was the best technique overall. Also, as object interactions are moved above-the-surface of the table the representation of off-table objects becomes crucial. To address the issue of off-table digital object representation several object designs were created an evaluated. The result of the present research provides designers with practical new techniques for substantially increasing performance and interaction richness on digital tables.
      Degree
      Master of Science (M.Sc.)
      Department
      Computer Science
      Program
      Computer Science
      Supervisor
      Gutwin, Carl
      Committee
      Stavness, Ian; Horsch, Michael; Chilibeck, Phil
      Copyright Date
      August 2013
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2013-08-1166
      Subject
      coordination
      digital object handoff
      digital tables
      user interfaces
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      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
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