Metamorphic light: a tabletop tangible interface using deformation of plain paper

In the field of Spatial Augmented Reality, how to intuitively manipulate the projected image becomes an important issue. If we could use flexible physical objects as an interface and measure the deformation as well as the location and connection of the physical object, we could offer more intuitive operation through tangible interaction. As related works, ForceTile [Kakehi et al. 2008] developed by our research group, can detect force distribution on the surface of panels made of gel material. Khronos Projector [Cassinelli and Ishikawa 2005] and Illuminating Clay [Piper et al. 2002] are also typical interactive display systems using the deformation of a screen made of cloth and clay material. On the other hand, we focus on plain paper, a material commonly used in our daily life which has high flexibility and stiffness. With this, we propose a novel tangible interface using no fiducial markers named Metamorphic Light. By measuring the deformation of the paper placed (or held) on the tabletop in three dimension, the image will dynamically change and be projected directly onto the paper (see Figure 1).