Foldable Interactive Displays, UIST '08

http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/1450000/1449763/p287-lee.pdf?key1=1449763&key2=0408588621&coll=ACM&dl=ACM&CFID=76752576&CFTOKEN=55465958

Authors:

Johnny Chung Lee, Scott E. Hudson
Human-Computer Interaction Institute
Carnegie Mellon University

and


Edward Tse
Smart Technologies
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Comment:
Mike

This paper outlined the authors attempts to create flexible interactive displays.  This was done by placing tracking dots on the objects such as a scroll or umbrella.  The system would track the dots and adjust the image projected onto the surface accordingly.  The PixArt system was used to track the dots on the moving objects.  The image, as the paper described,  was created using an array of led's on the surface.  These led's would run for hours, powered by a small battery on the unit.

The older technologies such as LCD and OLED, while promising a small amount of flexibility, are still mostly rigid and rectangular.  This new system allows designers to create truly flexible materials.  With the tracking system built in a user could even use the surface similar to a touch screen.

I thought this was really cool.  I like the idea a lot.  It only makes sense that things would go towards being more flexible.  The idea of presenting an object with a changing display surrounding it seems really cool.  There are some worries though.  For example with these displays almost everything is now subject to advertising.  Do we want our coke bottle becoming an ad?  I feel like these ads could make the world begin to look like a giant ad.  It still remains to be seen whether or not this would be reality however.