Paper Reading #6: Tangible Interfaces for Download: Initial Observations from Users' Everyday Environments

Comments
Jacob Lillard
Joe Cabrera

Reference information
Authors: Enrico Costanza, Matteo Giaccone, Olivier Küng, Simon Shelley, Jeffrey Huang
Where: CHI 2010

Summary
The designers for this paper created a tangible music-making device called "Audio d-touch" using physical blocks to make different musical rhythms when arranged in different ways, which are interpreted by a webcam and additional software algorithms. It was designed to be a low-cost and accessible alternative to some other music-making methods, which tend to be more expensive and restricted to the lab. A user study resulted in a fairly wide range of user reactions; some tried to push the application to its limit by making complex rhythms and patterns, while others did not. In addition, because users were required to register online, some felt privacy was a concern and that too much information was asked for, though they understood the need for it as a research project. But overall, Audio d-touch was received enthusiastically, with most of the users praising the low-cost nature of the application and its relatively simple design, some even enjoying the construction of the paper blocks themselves.

Some users reported technical problems with the image recognition, which the designers believed be related to poor lighting conditions. Thus, some users felt they needed to elevate the interactive surface themselves, as seen here. Source: publication

Discussion
I thought this was an interesting idea, though I wonder how long it would be before I returned to a similar digital or purely software application. Thus, I found the first half of the paper, which described the drum machine and sequencer, to be somewhat hard to read. But it became more clear in the second half when the user study was detailed. Like some of those in the study, it seems like this is very experimental, so it feels much like a toy for testing out a new interface. Still, it does seem like a fun way to make music without having to acquire a drumset or similarly expensive equipment. I have pretty much no experience with TUIs, so I can't give much opinion on it, though it's something I'd like to try. I think this project shows a lot of promise in the field.