The 3D Tractus: A Three-Dimensional Drawing Board
Date
2005-08-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
We present the 3D Tractus: a simple and inexpensive system for
interaction and exploration of three-dimensional (3D) data. The device is
based on a traditional drawing board-like mechanical structure that can be
easily moved up and down while its surface height is being tracked using a
simple sensor. Users interact with a tablet or tablet PC that rests on the
surface while simultaneously changing its height. The result is direct
mapping of virtual and physical spaces allowing intuitive 3D interaction and
data exploration. The 3D Tractus allows us to investigate novel 3D
interaction techniques based on sketching and drawing as well as intuitive
visual indicators and GUI layouts. The 3D Tractus' simple design concept can
be easily adapted to other tabletop systems and the simple nature of the
physical interaction allows the design of various exciting applications. We
detail here the design and development of the 3D Tractus hardware and
software as well as preliminary evaluation of a 3D drawing and sketching
application realized using the new tabletop interface.
Description
Keywords
Computer Science