Design and implementation of an interactive 3D printed MIT tangible map

Abstract

The Tangible Map is an interactive 3D printed MIT map (Tangible Map) that will be exhibited in the MIT Atlas Welcome Center. The Tangible Map will allow users to select buildings by touching them or search by building name, department, or faculty name on an iPad interface. The main goal of the project is to provide better access to knowledge and information about MIT life and the MIT campus to for both visitors and the MIT community. The system consists of a web app and a native iPad app, both of which connect to an Node.js server to communicate commands and retrieve data. The web app is displayed across two large touch-sensitive displays, and the printed buildings are positioned on top of the displays. Extensive software testing and user testing was done in order to ensure the robustness of the system and the effectiveness of the user interface.