Tangible Message Bubbles

As an emerging field, Tangible User Interface (TUI) development is only in the early stages of standardizing a paradigm for classifying its advances.  While contrasting suggestions exist, each proposed method provides unique description of new additions to the field. Tangible Message Bubbles (TMB), for instance, can be analyzed using both Shaer et al.s’ and Hornecker and Buurs’ frameworks. TMB is an interactive tool designed for children to be able to communicate with their friends and relatives in a fun and simple fashion. This TUI, which was developed by Ryokai, Raffle, and Brooks, allows children to record videos and sounds in either an accordion or a balloon and then manipulate the recording by simply extending or compacting toy. Finally their creations can be transmitted to an interactive surface and manipulated around the surface until they are dropped into designated locations representing friends and family. The computer then sends the videos directly to desired recipients’ mailboxes.

Using Shaer et al.’s framework, Tangible Message Bubbles is most closely categorized by tokens and constraints. By using commonly identifiable toys, children quickly understand to speak into the balloon in order to generate a message. Similarly, children understand the constraints of an accordion and discover they can constrain and contract the accordion in order to control the sound. While an interactive surface is used, the majority of tangible interaction with TMB takes place outside of the surface, rendering it a much less prominent classification. Based on Hornecker and Buurs’ framework, however, TMB is classified quite differently. Because users are able to grab and move important elements of the bubbles, as well as proceed in small, experimental steps, TMB should fall under the category of Tangible Manipulation. While both of these classifications are quite descriptive, it is likely that soon the field will evolve to prefer a single framework for describing Tangible User Interfaces.