Daniel Cotting, ETH Zurich
Computer technology is increasingly migrating from traditional desktops to novel forms of ubiquitous displays on tabletops and walls of our environments. This process is mainly driven by the desire to lift the inherent limitations of classical computer and home entertainment screens which are generally restricted in size, position, shape, perspective and interaction possibilities.
In this talk we will present our research on smart displays which can be activated, redefined and interacted with anytime and anywhere. Our interactive environment-aware display bubbles provide on-demand freeform user interfaces on surfaces with limited real-estate and can autonomously react to physical objects on the display surface.
Our key ingredients are optical I/O-bricks consisting of projectors for image generation and cameras for calibration, 3D scene acquisition, tracking, and interaction with humans or sensor-enabled objects. A per-pixel light control mechanism enables projection of patterns while simultaneously displaying full color imagery, thus allowing imperceptible structured light approaches.