Beyond: collapsible tools and gestures for computational design

Abstract

Since the invention of the personal computer, digital media has remained separate from the physical world, blocked by a rigid screen. In this paper, we present Beyond, an interface for 3-D design where users can directly manipulate digital media with physically retractable tools and hand gestures. When pushed onto the screen, these tools physically collapse and project themselves onto the screen, letting users perceive as if they were inserting the tools into the digital space beyond the screen. The aim of Beyond is to make the digital 3-D design process straightforward, and more accessible to general users by extending physical affordances to the digital space beyond the computer screen.