Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau: Nano-Scape, Electromagnetic Tangible Interface 2002

Language: German.
This nano-scale sculpture is invisible, just like the Nano-world it comments about. While science and media try to capture images of these tiniest of particles in order to understand their properties, Nano-Scape tries to make this Nano-world intuitively accessible through touch.
A wireless magnetic force-feedback interface allows users to touch invisible nano particles, creating an every changing invisible sculpture which modifies its shape and properties as users interact with it and with eachother.
Users wear magnetic ring interfaces that are made of strong permanent magnets. When users move their hands over the tables of the installation, strong magnetic forces, repulsion, attraction and even slight shock can be felt. As users try to comprehend the structure of this invisible sculpture through touch, its shape changes and varies, as a direct result of the users´ hand positions and frequency of movements. The invisible sculpture also takes into account other users´ interaction forces. These forces are calculated through a simplified atomic force simulation, modeled on VanderWaals forces. This allows us to model simultaneous interaction influences of various users onto an overall collective shape.
We developed a special electromagnetic interface that links the users´ hands positions to the strength of magnetic feedback forces. We measure the location of permanent magnets, placed on the rings held by the users, through camera detection. The magnets´ positions are then driving and modulating magnetic forces produced by several strong electromagnets each placed under the installation´s tables. The range of magnetic fields produced in this process reaches up to 6000 Gauss. Our novel interface technology creates a new and yet unseen typ of interaction experience where users feel strong, yet invisible attractions and repulsions as results of their own interactions.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• art
• nano
• tangible
• interactive
• invisible
• magnet
• interface
• electromagnetic

[JessoTorfer]

super mega cool!!! An der Hochschule Bremen wohlen wir auch ein Project mit einem magnetischen Interface machen, um Musik "erfahrbar" zu machen!^^. (Dieses Projekt ist sehr inspirierend!)