Physigrams: modelling devices for natural interaction

Abstract

Abstract. This paper explores the formal specification of the physical behaviour of devices 'unplugged' from their digital effects. By doing this we seek to better understand the nature of physical interaction and the way this can be exploited to improve the design of hybrid devices with both physical and digital features. We use modified state transition networks of the physical behaviour, which we call physiograms, and link these to parallel diagrams of the digital state. These are used to describe a number of features of physical interaction exposed by previous work and relevant properties expressed using a formal semantics of the diagrams. As well as being an analytic tool, the physigrams have been used in a case study where product designers used and adapted them as part of the design process.

Active and passive physicality: making the most of low fidelity physical interactive prototypes

“…To explain these terms a useful starting point is that of Dix et al (2009), who regard a physical device removed from its context, and 'separated' from its digital operation, in order to consider the mapping of the device 'unplugged'. This is the basis of 'passive' physicality; the judgments that can be made about a device by considering both its visual appearance and its tangibility (by touching it), without switching it on.…”

Physicality in Design: An Exploration

“…The results show that the link between the physical act of holding a product and interaction was more marked than has previously been understood (Gill et al, 2008), thus highlighting the need for understanding the precise nature of physicality in the design process. This led to our recent work on physigrams -a diagrammatic notation based on a formal framework for mapping the relationship between physical devices and their corresponding physical actions for designers' use (Dix et al, 2009). Having recognised that physicality is important in devices and prototypes, this paper looks at how the physicality of design materials may affect the design itself.…”

The Effect of Physicality on Low Fidelity Interactive Prototyping for Design Practice

“…To explain these terms a useful starting point is that of Dix et al [6] who regard the physical device removed from its context and 'separated' from its digital operation in order to consider the mapping of the device 'unplugged'. This is the basis of 'passive' physicality; the judgments that can be made about the device without switching it on.…”