O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference 2005: "Tangible Computing
Chris Heathcote, Manager, User Experience, Nokia
Matt D. Jones, Concept Development Manager, Nokia

Date: Tuesday, March 15
Time: 1:45pm - 2:30pm
Location: California Ballroom C

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For over twenty years, computers have mainly been a rectangular window onto a digital world, controlled by keyboard and mouse. As we accelerate towards ubiquitous computing, the computer is all around us, and we need new ways of controlling all our intelligent devices, connecting them together to perform new tasks, and visualizing their complex interactions. Tangible computing proposes one method, moving back to a tight coupling of interaction and action, similar to that of the craftsman and their tools.

We are at a point where several pieces of tangible technology now exist at consumer prices, with enough processing power to facilitate new interaction paradigms. Eyetoy, smart whiteboards, and Tablet PCs enable direct manipulation of computer objects on screen. Cellphones are becoming equipped with accelerometers, compasses, and image processing.

In this session, Heathcote and Jones look at the next five years of tangible computing, showing prototypes, research, and Near Field Communications from Nokia. They will also consider the wider problems of tangible computing and explain some new ways of interacting, such as direct combination, haptics, and tilt/shake UIs."