Conté: multimodal input inspired by an artist's crayon

Conté is a small input device inspired by the way artists manipulate a real Conté crayon. By changing which corner, edge, end, or side is contacting the display, the operator can switch interaction modes using a single hand. Conté's rectangular prism shape enables both precise pen-like input and tangible handle interaction. Conté also has a natural compatibility with multi-touch input: it can be tucked in the palm to interleave same-hand touch input, or used to expand the vocabulary of bimanual touch. Inspired by informal interviews with artists, we catalogue Conté's characteristics, and use these to outline a design space. We describe a prototype device using common materials and simple electronics. With this device, we demonstrate interaction techniques in a test-bed drawing application. Finally, we discuss alternate hardware designs and future human factors research to study this new class of input.

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