Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments ai... more Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments aimed at introducing enough technology so that students from a mix of disciplines can design and build innovative interface devices.
In this paper we present examples of haptic sculpting mediated by a physical model or constraint.... more In this paper we present examples of haptic sculpting mediated by a physical model or constraint. Most current work in haptic drawing and sculpting focuses on interacting with a static model and properly simulating contact forces. Our work proposes dynamic models for the creative process. These are based on physical models, but present physically impossible scenarios which allow new forms of expression. By focusing on models not realizable in the real world we show an expansion of the creative process through haptic feedback.
In this paper, we seek to identify interesting sources of metaphor for tangible user interfaces (... more In this paper, we seek to identify interesting sources of metaphor for tangible user interfaces (TUIs). We begin by doing a systematic exploration of the design space that results from constructing simple TUI devices. From this we argue that a new set of metaphors are needed for this domain. From usability tests of simple tangible devices, we suggest that magic and paranormal phenomena could be a fruitful place to look for new metaphors for TUIs.
Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance devi... more Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance device can be built from a surplus disk drive and controlled from an inexpensive microcontroller. Our new design,The Plank has only one axis of force-feedback with limited range of motion. It is being used to explore methods of feeling and directly manipulating sound waves and spectra suitable for live performance of computer music.
DIS provides an intimate semi-annual forum for serious reflection on the practice of designing in... more DIS provides an intimate semi-annual forum for serious reflection on the practice of designing interactive systems. This is a crucial time to refine our discipline and to figure out where we are headed. Two years ago, at the last DIS, we all had jobs, and were riding high on the new economy. Things are different this year. Twenty years ago, I was lucky to participate in introducing to the world the Xerox Star, which established the standards for what we now call the graphical user interface, the "desktop" or "windows". You could argue that our sponsoring organization, the Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group for Computer Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI) has been focused for the past twenty years on improving the usability of these graphical computers as they have changed the way we all work and communicate. Now, almost everyone has a "desktop" interface on their desktop or laptop but we are more likely to interact with a computer (including graphical user interfaces!) when we use the phone, check the calendar, take a picture or drive a car. Think about all the places we are confronted with selecting items from menus, or dealing with modes and arbitrary mappings. What happens when computers become "ubiquitous", "pervasive", "tangible" or "invisible"? Is there a new discipline of design, like architecture or industrial design, that spans the human and the technical, dealing with invention as well as implementation? I like to call this new discipline "interaction design" and claim that the interaction designer answers three questions: HOW DO YOU DO? HOW DO YOU FEEL? HOW DO YOU KNOW? We DO with either handles or buttons. We FEEL either "hot" or "cool" (McLuhan's message). We KNOW with maps or paths. Our practice ranges from observation and invention to analysis and implementation. The goal is good mappings for controls and displays organized by appropriate modes or mental models for different tasks. We try to create meaning through metaphors and scenarios while understanding the breakdowns and ideals that motivate design. At DIS2002 we present 14 exhibits, 30 papers and seven invited sessions. My hope in having organized the invited sessions is that we can begin to tie down a definition of interaction design as a new discipline. Tuesday evening, the conference will be kicked-off by Bill Moggridge, an industrial designer who has transformed his practice over the last 15 years to include what he calls "interaction design". For DIS, he will show some of his "interviews with interaction designers". Wednesday there are two panels on education. I consider Gillian Crampton Smith, Pelle Ehn and John Maeda the leading educators of "interaction designers". Gillian is now in Italy, directing the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. Pelle Elm teaches what he calls 'the digital bauhaus' at Maim6 in Sweden. John Maeda teaches 'aesthetics and computing' at the MIT Media Lab. Joy Mountford has put together a panel of former and current students who have been influenced by the 'design competitions' she started at Apple and continued at Interval Research. All of these designers have become more 'interdisciplinary' by learning to work with interdisciplinary teams. Thursday, two panels are planned as an opportunity to reflect on current design practice. Ben Fry, a PhD candidate at the MIT Media Lab, will bring his perspectives as a young interaction designer to examine the exhibits. Later in the day, Nico Macdonald will bring his perspectives as a journalist to give us a preview of our evening tour of London design offices. Friday we hear from two of the most provocative and thoughtful interaction designers. Fiona Raby and Anthony Dunne, research fellows at the Royal College of Art, explore the relationship of industrial design, architecture and electronic media. Finally, Friday afternoon, Tom Moran, one of the pioneers of HCI at Xerox but now at IBM, will reflect on the impossibility of 'design'when the essence of interaction is 'adaptation'. We are all engaged in 'everyday design'. I hope that after DIS2002, you wilt all consider yourselves 'interaction designers' and continue to develop a common set of issues and answers that may serve to tie us together as a reflective practice.
The work presented at ACM TEI has a strong focus on how computing can bridge atoms, bits and our ... more The work presented at ACM TEI has a strong focus on how computing can bridge atoms, bits and our surrounding everyday environment into cohesive interactive systems. What is surprising is that this focus was considered quite esoteric in 2007, the date of the first TEI conference. This has changed remarkably quickly. Creating such interactive systems has become easier through advances in materials, 3d printing, easy-to-program microcomputers, high-quality sensors and actuators, and specialized toolkits. More importantly, our culture has changed its perspective, where people no longer consider it unusual for computation to be embedded in our environment, surroundings, and everyday objects.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, May 22, 2003
Over the past year the instructors of the Human Computer Interaction courses at CCRMA have undert... more Over the past year the instructors of the Human Computer Interaction courses at CCRMA have undertaken a technology shift to a much more powerful teaching platform. We describe the technical features of the new Atmel AVR based platform, contrasting it with the Parallax BASIC Stamp platform used in the past. The successes and failures of the new platform are considered, and some student project success stories described.
Teaching physical interaction design for music combines aspects of embedded systems, sensors, ele... more Teaching physical interaction design for music combines aspects of embedded systems, sensors, electronics, sound synthesis, design and HCI. CCRMA's courses in this area draw students with a variety of backgrounds in these fields, and expose them to aspects of each. Students learn about technology and design theory, from the instructors and from each other. Multidisciplinary team design projects to create physical interfaces for music have resulted in a broad range of successful devices that can be described by their situation along a set of continua.
ABSTRACT In this studio we present teaching material focused on dynamic force-feedback and sound ... more ABSTRACT In this studio we present teaching material focused on dynamic force-feedback and sound synthesis for the learning of haptics. Using simple and low-cost tool sets that we have developed specifically for engaging interaction designers with the study of haptics, our aim is to advance the quality of haptics research and experimentation in the classroom. Using this studio opportunity to present what we have developed for design students, we aim to thereby advance the platform through effective learning.
Bill Verplank is an interaction designer educated at Stanford and MIT in Mechanical Engineering (... more Bill Verplank is an interaction designer educated at Stanford and MIT in Mechanical Engineering (Design and Man-Machine Systems). He did user testing at Xerox (“Star”), interaction design at IDTWO (now IDEO), research at Interval. He has taught design at MIT, Stanford (ME, Music, CS), ACM-SIGCHI, NIME, IDII (Ivrea), CIID (Copenhagen).
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 1, 2002
Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance devi... more Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance device can be built from a surplus disk drive and controlled from an inexpensive microcontroller. Our new design,The Plank has only one axis of force-feedback with limited range of motion. It is being used to explore methods of feeling and directly manipulating sound waves and spectra suitable for live performance of computer music.
This Spring quarter at Stanford, we put together an experimental course on user-interface design.... more This Spring quarter at Stanford, we put together an experimental course on user-interface design. We were quite pleased with the results and would like to share some of our ideas and experiences.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Apr 1, 2001
Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments ai... more Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments aimed at introducing enough technology so that students from a mix of disciplines can design and build innovative interface devices.
A b h i n u t e tracking task with different disturbance inputs has been used to look for the eff... more A b h i n u t e tracking task with different disturbance inputs has been used to look for the effects of reduced task demands on long-term mll~lual control. The expected facilitating effects of task difficulty are hard to find. The dacrements in performance over the run are no greater for the easier tasks. The detrimental effects of lower d-d appear to be increased relative variability in performance, and possibly reduced perfo-ce on transition to unexpected, more difficult tuks. A n inforution measure. including the effects of "self-induced" wcertain:~ ia developed as a work-load measure. There is a positive correlation between this "self-induced work-load" and performance decre
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2004
In a music synthesis system, a scanning apparatus repeatedly scans a physical attribute of a vibr... more In a music synthesis system, a scanning apparatus repeatedly scans a physical attribute of a vibrating object at a sequence of points of the vibrating object so as to repeatedly generate corresponding sequences of values. The music synthesis system generates an audio frequency waveform whose shape corresponds to the sequences of values. The vibrating object may be a physical object or a simulated object. The system may include a sensor for receiving user input, and means for mapping the user input into a stimulus signal that is applied to the vibrating object. In a preferred embodiment, the object vibrates and is manipulated by the user at haptic frequencies (0 to 15 hertz), while the sequences of scanned values are cyclically read at an audio frequencies so as to generate an audio frequency waveform whose timbre varies at the haptic frequencies associated with the object's vibration.
We motivate and discuss the design of a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. A new musical inst... more We motivate and discuss the design of a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. A new musical instrument is physically intuitive if the physics of haptic interaction are similar to those supported by a traditional musical instrument. We suggest that physically intuitive new musical instruments may help performers transfer motor skills from familiar, traditional musical instruments. Both actively controlled acoustic instruments and many haptic instruments are physically intuitive. We design a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. Simple models of drumstick dynamics and drumstick/membrane collisions are explained and implemented on a high-resolution haptic device. Next, we create a new musical instrument by altering the haptic drumstick dynamics in a physically intuitive manner. We focus on drum rolls. In particular, we alter the haptic drumstick dynamics to assist performers in playing singlehanded drum rolls. Finally, we analyze the stability of the altered system dynamics using a Poincaré map.
Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments ai... more Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments aimed at introducing enough technology so that students from a mix of disciplines can design and build innovative interface devices.
In this paper we present examples of haptic sculpting mediated by a physical model or constraint.... more In this paper we present examples of haptic sculpting mediated by a physical model or constraint. Most current work in haptic drawing and sculpting focuses on interacting with a static model and properly simulating contact forces. Our work proposes dynamic models for the creative process. These are based on physical models, but present physically impossible scenarios which allow new forms of expression. By focusing on models not realizable in the real world we show an expansion of the creative process through haptic feedback.
In this paper, we seek to identify interesting sources of metaphor for tangible user interfaces (... more In this paper, we seek to identify interesting sources of metaphor for tangible user interfaces (TUIs). We begin by doing a systematic exploration of the design space that results from constructing simple TUI devices. From this we argue that a new set of metaphors are needed for this domain. From usability tests of simple tangible devices, we suggest that magic and paranormal phenomena could be a fruitful place to look for new metaphors for TUIs.
Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance devi... more Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance device can be built from a surplus disk drive and controlled from an inexpensive microcontroller. Our new design,The Plank has only one axis of force-feedback with limited range of motion. It is being used to explore methods of feeling and directly manipulating sound waves and spectra suitable for live performance of computer music.
DIS provides an intimate semi-annual forum for serious reflection on the practice of designing in... more DIS provides an intimate semi-annual forum for serious reflection on the practice of designing interactive systems. This is a crucial time to refine our discipline and to figure out where we are headed. Two years ago, at the last DIS, we all had jobs, and were riding high on the new economy. Things are different this year. Twenty years ago, I was lucky to participate in introducing to the world the Xerox Star, which established the standards for what we now call the graphical user interface, the "desktop" or "windows". You could argue that our sponsoring organization, the Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group for Computer Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI) has been focused for the past twenty years on improving the usability of these graphical computers as they have changed the way we all work and communicate. Now, almost everyone has a "desktop" interface on their desktop or laptop but we are more likely to interact with a computer (including graphical user interfaces!) when we use the phone, check the calendar, take a picture or drive a car. Think about all the places we are confronted with selecting items from menus, or dealing with modes and arbitrary mappings. What happens when computers become "ubiquitous", "pervasive", "tangible" or "invisible"? Is there a new discipline of design, like architecture or industrial design, that spans the human and the technical, dealing with invention as well as implementation? I like to call this new discipline "interaction design" and claim that the interaction designer answers three questions: HOW DO YOU DO? HOW DO YOU FEEL? HOW DO YOU KNOW? We DO with either handles or buttons. We FEEL either "hot" or "cool" (McLuhan's message). We KNOW with maps or paths. Our practice ranges from observation and invention to analysis and implementation. The goal is good mappings for controls and displays organized by appropriate modes or mental models for different tasks. We try to create meaning through metaphors and scenarios while understanding the breakdowns and ideals that motivate design. At DIS2002 we present 14 exhibits, 30 papers and seven invited sessions. My hope in having organized the invited sessions is that we can begin to tie down a definition of interaction design as a new discipline. Tuesday evening, the conference will be kicked-off by Bill Moggridge, an industrial designer who has transformed his practice over the last 15 years to include what he calls "interaction design". For DIS, he will show some of his "interviews with interaction designers". Wednesday there are two panels on education. I consider Gillian Crampton Smith, Pelle Ehn and John Maeda the leading educators of "interaction designers". Gillian is now in Italy, directing the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. Pelle Elm teaches what he calls 'the digital bauhaus' at Maim6 in Sweden. John Maeda teaches 'aesthetics and computing' at the MIT Media Lab. Joy Mountford has put together a panel of former and current students who have been influenced by the 'design competitions' she started at Apple and continued at Interval Research. All of these designers have become more 'interdisciplinary' by learning to work with interdisciplinary teams. Thursday, two panels are planned as an opportunity to reflect on current design practice. Ben Fry, a PhD candidate at the MIT Media Lab, will bring his perspectives as a young interaction designer to examine the exhibits. Later in the day, Nico Macdonald will bring his perspectives as a journalist to give us a preview of our evening tour of London design offices. Friday we hear from two of the most provocative and thoughtful interaction designers. Fiona Raby and Anthony Dunne, research fellows at the Royal College of Art, explore the relationship of industrial design, architecture and electronic media. Finally, Friday afternoon, Tom Moran, one of the pioneers of HCI at Xerox but now at IBM, will reflect on the impossibility of 'design'when the essence of interaction is 'adaptation'. We are all engaged in 'everyday design'. I hope that after DIS2002, you wilt all consider yourselves 'interaction designers' and continue to develop a common set of issues and answers that may serve to tie us together as a reflective practice.
The work presented at ACM TEI has a strong focus on how computing can bridge atoms, bits and our ... more The work presented at ACM TEI has a strong focus on how computing can bridge atoms, bits and our surrounding everyday environment into cohesive interactive systems. What is surprising is that this focus was considered quite esoteric in 2007, the date of the first TEI conference. This has changed remarkably quickly. Creating such interactive systems has become easier through advances in materials, 3d printing, easy-to-program microcomputers, high-quality sensors and actuators, and specialized toolkits. More importantly, our culture has changed its perspective, where people no longer consider it unusual for computation to be embedded in our environment, surroundings, and everyday objects.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, May 22, 2003
Over the past year the instructors of the Human Computer Interaction courses at CCRMA have undert... more Over the past year the instructors of the Human Computer Interaction courses at CCRMA have undertaken a technology shift to a much more powerful teaching platform. We describe the technical features of the new Atmel AVR based platform, contrasting it with the Parallax BASIC Stamp platform used in the past. The successes and failures of the new platform are considered, and some student project success stories described.
Teaching physical interaction design for music combines aspects of embedded systems, sensors, ele... more Teaching physical interaction design for music combines aspects of embedded systems, sensors, electronics, sound synthesis, design and HCI. CCRMA's courses in this area draw students with a variety of backgrounds in these fields, and expose them to aspects of each. Students learn about technology and design theory, from the instructors and from each other. Multidisciplinary team design projects to create physical interfaces for music have resulted in a broad range of successful devices that can be described by their situation along a set of continua.
ABSTRACT In this studio we present teaching material focused on dynamic force-feedback and sound ... more ABSTRACT In this studio we present teaching material focused on dynamic force-feedback and sound synthesis for the learning of haptics. Using simple and low-cost tool sets that we have developed specifically for engaging interaction designers with the study of haptics, our aim is to advance the quality of haptics research and experimentation in the classroom. Using this studio opportunity to present what we have developed for design students, we aim to thereby advance the platform through effective learning.
Bill Verplank is an interaction designer educated at Stanford and MIT in Mechanical Engineering (... more Bill Verplank is an interaction designer educated at Stanford and MIT in Mechanical Engineering (Design and Man-Machine Systems). He did user testing at Xerox (“Star”), interaction design at IDTWO (now IDEO), research at Interval. He has taught design at MIT, Stanford (ME, Music, CS), ACM-SIGCHI, NIME, IDII (Ivrea), CIID (Copenhagen).
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 1, 2002
Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance devi... more Active force-feedback holds the potential for precise and rapid controls. A high performance device can be built from a surplus disk drive and controlled from an inexpensive microcontroller. Our new design,The Plank has only one axis of force-feedback with limited range of motion. It is being used to explore methods of feeling and directly manipulating sound waves and spectra suitable for live performance of computer music.
This Spring quarter at Stanford, we put together an experimental course on user-interface design.... more This Spring quarter at Stanford, we put together an experimental course on user-interface design. We were quite pleased with the results and would like to share some of our ideas and experiences.
New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Apr 1, 2001
Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments ai... more Over the last four years, we have developed a series of lectures, labs and project assignments aimed at introducing enough technology so that students from a mix of disciplines can design and build innovative interface devices.
A b h i n u t e tracking task with different disturbance inputs has been used to look for the eff... more A b h i n u t e tracking task with different disturbance inputs has been used to look for the effects of reduced task demands on long-term mll~lual control. The expected facilitating effects of task difficulty are hard to find. The dacrements in performance over the run are no greater for the easier tasks. The detrimental effects of lower d-d appear to be increased relative variability in performance, and possibly reduced perfo-ce on transition to unexpected, more difficult tuks. A n inforution measure. including the effects of "self-induced" wcertain:~ ia developed as a work-load measure. There is a positive correlation between this "self-induced work-load" and performance decre
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2004
In a music synthesis system, a scanning apparatus repeatedly scans a physical attribute of a vibr... more In a music synthesis system, a scanning apparatus repeatedly scans a physical attribute of a vibrating object at a sequence of points of the vibrating object so as to repeatedly generate corresponding sequences of values. The music synthesis system generates an audio frequency waveform whose shape corresponds to the sequences of values. The vibrating object may be a physical object or a simulated object. The system may include a sensor for receiving user input, and means for mapping the user input into a stimulus signal that is applied to the vibrating object. In a preferred embodiment, the object vibrates and is manipulated by the user at haptic frequencies (0 to 15 hertz), while the sequences of scanned values are cyclically read at an audio frequencies so as to generate an audio frequency waveform whose timbre varies at the haptic frequencies associated with the object's vibration.
We motivate and discuss the design of a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. A new musical inst... more We motivate and discuss the design of a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. A new musical instrument is physically intuitive if the physics of haptic interaction are similar to those supported by a traditional musical instrument. We suggest that physically intuitive new musical instruments may help performers transfer motor skills from familiar, traditional musical instruments. Both actively controlled acoustic instruments and many haptic instruments are physically intuitive. We design a physically intuitive haptic drumstick. Simple models of drumstick dynamics and drumstick/membrane collisions are explained and implemented on a high-resolution haptic device. Next, we create a new musical instrument by altering the haptic drumstick dynamics in a physically intuitive manner. We focus on drum rolls. In particular, we alter the haptic drumstick dynamics to assist performers in playing singlehanded drum rolls. Finally, we analyze the stability of the altered system dynamics using a Poincaré map.
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