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Shape-changing interfaces give physical shape to digital data so that users can feel and manipulate data with their hands and body. Combining techniques from haptics with the field of shape-changing interfaces, we propose a technique to build a perceptive model of material properties by taking advantage of the shape display's ability to dynamically render flexibility, elasticity, and viscosity in response to the direct manipulation of any computationally rendered physical shape. Using a computer-generated relationship between the manipulated pins and nearby pins in the shape display, we can create human proprioception of various material properties. Our results show that users can identify varying material properties in our simulations through direct manipulation, and that this perception is gathered mainly from their physical relationship (touch) with the shape display and its dynamic movements.

Research Topics
#human-machine interaction