Haptic chameleon

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce the concept of shape-changing, user interface control devices called "Haptic Chameleon", which refers to computer-controlled user interface devices that convey information to and from the user by altering their shape and feel. The user decides what a Haptic Chameleon control will do by changing its shape, and can immediately recognize the capabilities of the newly shaped device through haptic and tactile channels. By combining the benefits of tangible and haptic user interfaces, this new user interface paradigm has the potential to vastly improve the learning and efficiency of interaction in a wide range of applications. It also represents an appealing alternative to current control devices. We report on our experience with early prototypes based on this concept, discuss open issues, and propose possible directions for future work.

Emergeables

“…The Haptic Chameleon [26] was an early demonstration of shape-changeable tangible controls applied to video playback. For example, controlling video playback at a frame-by-frame level used a large dial; scene-by-scene level used a thin central wedge of the same dial.…”

Grand Challenges in Shape-Changing Interface Research

“…There are several classes of simulations: (1) Recreating existing real world objects (e.g. car seat adjustment [56] or for remote surgery); (2) Simulating objects that do not yet exist (e.g. in a shape-changing CAD system); (3) Exposing objects that humans could not normally understand (e.g.…”

ExpanDial

“…In this area, Button+ [38] shows a height-changing dial representing different access level to the system or game difficulties. The haptic chameleon [26] presents a dial whose shape can be changed between a circular shape, a halfcircular shape and a wedge-shaped dial to change in a discrete way between three modes of control: continuous, discrete or semantic playback of a video. Dynamic knobs [15] on mobile phones change their height as a way to provide haptic feedback to the users through tactile exploration.…”

“…Closer to ExpanDial, the authors of previous work on shapechanging dials -rather than end users -proposed applications for their devices [8][15][23] [26]. Taking a different approach, Suh et al [38] studied future applications of Button+ with end-users.…”