Multiple-computer user interfaces: "beyond the desktop" direct manipulation environments

ABSTRACT

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are mainly designed for a single computer and a set of single input devices. However, when we simultaneously use many and different types of computers and electronic devices, such interfaces would often fail to work. As we can combine several tools to perform a task in the real world, we consider that it should be possible to dynamically combine multiple digital devices. It should also be possible to use "direct manipulation" interfaces that work across the boundary of these devices. We call this concept "multiple-computer user interfaces". This video demonstrates several interaction techniques based on this concept, including Pick-and-Drop, a digital whiteboard system with palmtop computers, and a digital table that can recognize objects placed on it.

REFERENCES

• 1: Jun Rekimoto, Pick-and-drop: a direct manipulation technique for multiple computer environments, Proceedings of the 10th annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology, p.31-39, October 14-17, 1997, Banff, Alberta, Canada [doi>10.1145/263407.263505]
• 2: Jun Rekimoto, A multiple device approach for supporting whiteboard-based interactions, Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, p.344-351, April 18-23, 1998, Los Angeles, California, United States [doi>10.1145/274644.274692]
• 3: Jun Rekimoto , Masanori Saitoh, Augmented surfaces: a spatially continuous work space for hybrid computing environments, Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems: the CHI is the limit, p.378-385, May 15-20, 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States [doi>10.1145/302979.303113]
• 4: Mark Weiser. The computer for the twenty-first century. Scientific American, pp. 94-104, September 1991.

INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
direct manipulation, multiple-device user interfaces, pick-and-drop, ubiquitous computing