The image above is the combination of a transparent FTIR-based multi-touch surface and a motion control board, such as the one from Nintendo BalanceBoard, to create a navigation metaphor. Dimitar Valkov, Dr. Frank Steinicke, Gerd Bruder and Prof. Dr. Klaus Hinrichs built this while working for the Visualization and Computer Graphics Research Group at the University of Munster. They created it as an easier way to navigate through a 3D virtual world. It allows the users to visualize movement through tight spaces such as caves where actual locomotion would be difficult. While this illustration includes wheels, the user of the device is not actually moving on wheels. The wheels are just a metaphor for the movement controlled by the user with hand and foot gestures.

I was drawn to this article because of the multi-touch surface similar to the one we have here at Project54, although it is not the main focus of the apparatus. The key to this navigational device is the use of a motion control board because it’s less strenuous to use feet to specify direction and speed than continuously using hands. They have presented this device to six subjects who were able to quickly adapt to using their feet and provided positive feedback on the device. The users appeared to have a natural ability to incorporate the use of feet and hand gestures for navigating in a virtual environment. With intuitive ease of use, reduced strenuous and continuous motion control requirements, the device seems to have great potential in becoming incorporated in more interaction metaphors.

Carol Perkins

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