Design and implementation of a relief interface

Abstract

Tangible representations of virtual content allow for sensory-rich interactions with computers through real-world objects. However, these objects are commonly static handles, with limited capabilities to present changing information through their form. This thesis presents a human-computer interface able to generate physical 3D shapes and sense user input through them. It consists of an array of sensors and actuators to deform a malleable surface. We define this type of system as a relief interface. This thesis documents the hardware and software design and proposes a set of pressure-based gestures, which are evaluated through applications for geospatial exploration, surface modeling and multilayer viewing.