Abstract

I will discuss our recent research at the Pervasive Interaction Lab at the OU on collaboration and tabletop interaction.

Our research investigates interfaces that support co-located and co-present interaction. We propose ‘shareable interfaces’ as a more inclusive term focusing on the kinds of activity to be supported rather than on the design of the interface per se (tangible, tabletop, large displays etc.).

The talk will focus on a tabletop surface study conducted this summer. The study compares touch interaction versus mice, and I will present our findings on how awareness is affected by different setups. We found higher levels of both positive and negative measures of awareness in the touch condition. A subsequent qualitative analysis indicated that the interactions in the touch condition were more fluid and integrated. Overall, our findings indicate that interactive touch surfaces facilitate collaboration through enabling more fluid work.