DiamondTouch
The MERL DiamondTouch table is a multi-user, debris-tolerant, touch-and-gesture-activated screen for supporting small group collaboration. The DiamondTouch table is available commercially as a developer's kit and includes: a selection of demonstration applications; a mouse emulator with onscreen keyboard to support common Windows applications; and a Software Developer's Kit allowing the development of new software applications that support gesture inputs and multiple simultaneous users. If you are interested in a DiamondTouch table, please send email to DiamondTouch AT merl DOT com.
Background & Objective: Computers are good at facilitating collaboration between people in remote locations. However, when people are in the same place at the same time, computers tend to get in the way. DiamondTouch supports small group collaboration by providing a display interface that allows users to maintain eye contact while interacting with the display simultaneously (i.e., without having to take turns). DiamondTouch was first created in 2001 as an experimental multi-user interface device. Over the following few years, MERL manufactured about 100 DiamondTouch tables, lending them to universities and research organizations around the world. DiamondTouch has been available commercially since 2006.
Technical Discussion: DiamondTouch is front-projected and uses an array of antennas embedded in the touch surface. Each antenna transmits a unique signal. Each user has a separate receiver, connected to the user capacitively, typically through the user's chair. When a user touches the surface, antennas near the touch point couple an extremely small amount of signal through the user's body and to the receiver. This unique touch technology supports multiple touches by a single user (e.g., two handed touch gestures) and distinguishes between simultaneous inputs from multiple users. Multi-user and gesture-based applications may be developed on DiamondTouch with the DiamondTouch SDK or with the DTFlash toolkit. DiamondTouch tables are available in two sizes (32" diagonal and 42" diagonal display), while custom sizes and shapes are available on spec.
Outside Collaborations: MERL is collaborating with many universities and corporations in researching further applications.
Future Direction: MERL will be announcing soon its plans to turn over management of the DiamondTouch product line to an outside company.
Contacts:
Adam Bogue
Alan Esenther
Clifton Forlines
Darren Leigh
Chia Shen
William Yerazunis
Publications:
Esenther, A.; Ryall, K., "Fluid DTMouse: Better Mouse Support for Touch-Based Interactions", Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI), May 2006 (AVI 2006, TR2006-001)
Tse, E.; Greenberg, S.; Shen, C.; Forlines, C., "Multimodal Multiplayer Tabletop Gaming", International Workshop on Pervasive Gaming Applications (PerGames), May 2006 (PerGames 2006, TR2006-009)
Wu, M.; Shen, C.; Ryall, K.; Forlines, C.; Balakrishnan, R., "Gesture Registration, Relaxation, and Reuse for Multi-Point Direct-Touch Surfaces", IEEE International Workshop on Horizontal Interactive Human-Computer Systems (TableTop), pp. 185-192, January 2006 (IEEE Xplore, TR2005-109)
Dietz, P.H.; Leigh, D.L., "DiamondTouch: A Multi-User Touch Technology", ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), ISBN: 1-58113-438-X, pps 219-226, November 2001 (Proc ACM Press, TR2003-125)
| Technical Reports: | |
| Tracking People in Mixed Modality Systems | |
| GSI Demo: Multiuser Gesture/Speech Interaction over Digital Tables by Wrapping Single User Applications | |
| RemoteDT: Support for Multi-Site Table Collaboration | |
| Multi-User, Multi-Display Interaction with a Single-User, Single-Display Geospatial Application | |
| Under the Table Interaction | |
| Three Modes of Multi-Surface Interaction and Visualization | |
| Table-Centric Interactive Spaces for Real-Time Collaboration | |
| Enabling Interaction with Single User Applications through Speech and Gestures on a Multi-User Tabletop | |
| Multi-User Interface and Interactions on Direct-Touch Horizontal Surfaces: Collaborative Tabletop Research at MERL | |
| MultiSpace: Enabling Electronic Document Micro-mobility in Table-Centric, Multi-Device Environments | |
| Experiences with and Observations of Direct-Touch Tabletops | |
| Multi-User Multi-Touch Games on DiamondTouch with the DTFlash Toolkit | |
| DTLens: Multi-user Tabletop Spatial Data Exploration | |
| DTMap Demo: Interactive Tabletop Maps for Ubiquitous Computing | |
| DT Controls: Adding Identity to Physical Interfaces | |
| iDwidgets: Parameterizing Widgets by User Identity | |
| Exploring Non-Speech Auditory Feedback at an Interactive Multi-User Tabletop | |
| Temporal Magic Lens: Combined Spatial and Temporal Query and Presentation | |
| Glimpse: A Novel Input Model for Multi-Level Devices | |
| Modal Spaces: Spatial Multiplexing to Mediate Direct-Touch Input on Large Displays | |
| CoR2Ds: Context-Rooted Rotatable Draggables for Tabletop Interaction | |
| Haptic Pen: Tactile Feedback Stylus for Touch Screens | |
| Observations of a Shared Tabletop User Study | |
| Conflict Resolution in Paper and Digital Worlds: Two Surveys of User Expectations | |
| Exploring the Effects of Group Size and Table Size on Interactions with Tabletop Shared-Display Groupware | |
| Beyond Social Protocols: Multi-User Coordination Policies for Co-located Groupware | |
| Visualization & User-Modeling for Browsing Personal Photo Libraries | |
| DiamondSpin: An Extensible Toolkit for Around-the-Table Interaction | |
| Intelligent Clusters and Collaborative Projector-based Displays | |
| UbiTable: Impromptu Face-to-Face Collaboration on Horizontal Interactive Surfaces | |
| Personal Digital Historian: Story Sharing Around the Table | |
| DiamondTouch SDK: Support for Multi-User, Multi-Touch Applications | |
| Research on Public, Community, and Situated Displays at MERL Cambridge | |
| Sharing and Building Digital Group Histories | |
Technology Area: Off the Desktop Interaction and Display
Modification Date: February 5, 2008
