Van Laerhoven, Kristof and Villar, Nicolas and Gellersen, Hans (2003) Pin & Mix: When Pins Become Interaction Components... In: In Proceedings of the Workshop on Real World User Interfaces (PI03) at the Fifth International Symposium on Human Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI 2003), 1900-01-01.
Abstract
This paper introduces a study into the realization of physical interaction components, based on a technology for providing network connectivity and power to small objects via a layered surface. Small pin-like components can be activated and networked by attaching them to the same, augmented surface, and can be used to dynamically create an interlinked set of atomic interaction components. The physical connection becomes thus also a digital link between components. To demonstrate our proposed platform, we have built atomic interface components in the form of dials and multicolour lights that are activated and integrated in a network by simply pushing their pin connectors in an augmented surface. They allow to pick and mix colours using the red, green, and blue primaries, as a physical alternative for the traditional WIMP colour mixer tools.