Physical objects as bidirectional user interface elements

The planar manipulator display uses physical objects for human-computer interaction. This system addresses the poor match between standard computer interfaces and human spatial awareness. The desire to take advantage of these abilities was our primary motivation in developing the planar manipulator display (PMD). The PMD uses movable physical objects as a means of human-computer interaction. Our work extends research on the use of tracked physical objects as tangible input elements by providing a practical method to use bidirectional physical elements, whereby objects can be moved both by users and by the computer.