The private view was a real success for our multitouch-able self-built table with the Digital Volvelles interface (Please have a look at the ‘ABOUT’ section of this blog, if you want to know what it’s all about the Digital Volvelles). It was great to observe how people interact with it and how intuitively most of them had understood what they have to drag, touch, turn, etc. It has proven that the concept, the design, and the implementation work well together and that all the research and work has finally payed off. To get first hand feedback from the users was one of the best experiences during the private view and this will hopefully enable us to continue with the improvement of the interface and the multitouch-table. Thanx to everyone, who could make it to the show. It was a great evening.
Guests at the private view discover how to use the Digital Volvelles:
The set up for the Central Saint Martins Final MA Show startet at 8am sharp at the Mall Galleries. Within 2 days the whole show was set up. Our multitouch-able table with the Digital Volvelles interface had to face some problems with the gallery lighting, which was interfering with our LED-sensorial movement tracking of the table. It took a lot of attempts, patience, and staying power until we realized that also the reflecting light off the white gallery walls was interfering with the multitouch-table. The light temperature of the bulbs was too warm. The touchscreen functioned without any problems in a brightly lit room where ‘cold’ artificial neonlight was used. Again, a new thing we learned, even on the spot of an exhibition. Johannes might now turn to laserlight for table version 2.0.
Setting up the table and the interface:
The empty gallery space in the beginning of the set up:
Finally our little baby will be ready for some live testing. Our Multitouch-Table with the wheels-interface will be presented in the context of the Final Degree Show of the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. If you are around London from the 13th of June to the 19th of June feel free to stop by and have a look and feel!
Entrance to the Mall Galleries:
Things that happen every day right outside the Mall Galleries:
What you see in the video is the hardware for the Digital Volvelles project. The app that is being used is just a Flash application that is bundled with the touchlib project:
While Niqui, Johannes, and Lelo are fully occupied to make the wheels working digitally, I’m kind of working on both sides – digital and print – to prepare everything for the show set up in June. The supporting print material is going to present useful and additional information how everything works. For example, two posters will show all possible combinations that can be arranged with the digital wheels in order to get a different kind of information. The work itself is getting quite complex, but somehow everything comes together now.
Steps to create the posters based on the digital interface, which are going to show all possible combinations:
I’ve finished the working paper that is going to be an essential manufacturing paper as it consists of all the facts, figures, and measurements concerning y/x axis values, colour values, type values, etc. It also explains the status and movements of the wheels and their outputs with detailed storyboards and further describtions.
It starts with a visual about sizes, types, and transparencies:
This is followed by another visual overview about the main 3 elements of the interface: sidewheels, centerwheels, and overlayers.
The paper includes detailed storyboards about movements, hierarchies, drags&drops, overlayers behaviours, etc. Here are a few examples:
1. Wheel hierarchy – order and re-order:
2. Turning wheels
3. Interaction between wheels, and wheels with overlayers
All visuals are created with Illustrator, which allows a really good work procedure with Flash.
Posted by Melanie 
Posted by Melanie 
Posted by Melanie 
Melanie
Johannes