MistForm

Abstract

Figure 1. (A) MistForm is a shape-changing fog screen, enabling single user and two user interaction (B) with 2D or 3D content. (C) We describe a computational approach and projection algorithm which work together to minimize artifacts (shape distortion and uneven brightness) related to projecting on a shape changing fog display (note parallel edges and brightness in the checkerboard). ABSTRACTWe present MistForm, a shape changing fog display that can support one or two users interacting with either 2D or 3D content. Mistform combines affordances from both shape changing interfaces and mid-air displays. For example, a concave display can maintain content in comfortable reach for a single user, while a convex shape can support several users engaged on individual tasks. MistForm also enables unique interaction possibilities by exploiting the synergies between shape changing interfaces and mid-air fog displays. For instance, moving the screen will affect the brightness and blurriness of the screen at specific locations around the display, creating spaces with similar (collaboration) or different visibility (personalized content). We describe the design of MistForm and analyse its inherent challenges, such as image distortion and uneven brightness on dynamic curved surfaces. We provide a machine learning approach to characterize the shape of the screen and a rendering algorithm to remove aberrations. We finally explore novel interactive possibilities and reflect on their potential and limitations.

Enlarged mid-air image display based on slim DOE waveguide

“…Several approaches to form midair images were proposed. Some of them require using glasses 3 or diffusing media/screen 4 , while others provide perception of floating image due to cues of depth, which are formed by passing light rays through HOE/DOE-based waveguides 5 , dihedral corner reflector arrays (DCRA) 6 , meta-surfaces 7 , micro-lens arrays (MLA) 8 , etc.…”

A Systematic Review of Personalized Collaborative Systems

“…Four of the papers deal with the adaptation of interaction itself. Tokuda et al (2017) present a novel UI in the form of an adaptive fog display. The authors state that the technique can help use the screen with similar visibility for collaboration or with different visibility for personalized content and considered different 2D and 3D manipulation tasks for pairs or single users.…”

SonicSpray: A Technique to Reconfigure Permeable Mid-Air Displays

“…Works in [13,11] showed a volumetric mid-air display by using a 2D array of static fog nozzles, or nozzles being mechanically actuated [12], to adjust the depth of parts of the display. This concept was extended to a larger form-factor by MistForm [35], combining mechanical actuators and fog nozzles mounted on a flexible PVC pipe, achieving an adaptive shape-changing display fog screen. However, the use of fans to achieve laminar flows resulted in noise and the direction of the aerosol flow could not be changed once it left the nozzle (it only floats upwards, while SonicSpray allows mid-air redirection).…”

“…Imagine a display that is shapeless as water, being able to reconfigure without physical contact, interactive and computationally reconfigurable to form shapes in mid-air. This type of display can be seen in science fiction movies, for instance, Iron Man and today these mid-air displays have been demonstrated through many proofs of concepts, for example, PixieDust [19], HoloVect [28], MistForm [35], and Luciola [25]. These type of displays consistently draw the attention of the imaginative community, mainly in interactive graphics on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).…”

“…SonicSpray is developed around two key properties: 1) it enables mid-air display control through a minimal form factor [2], built using low cost, off-the-shelf components [33]; and 2) it maintains laminarity of the flow during reconfiguration, to retain display quality [26]. These properties enable four key advantages: 1) it removes enclosures (i.e., transparent electrodes) like those in [29]; 2) it is silent, avoiding fans or other noisy moving parts [35]; 3) it allows simple and precise real-time control of the laminar airflow, using only one control point on XY-plane; and 4) it has a minimal form factor. We leverage these benefits for our technique, enabling the creation of novel mid-air displays, which we explore in the paper.…”