Now That’s Deep

Under normal circumstances, a glass display case just screams “Look, but don’t touch.” Thanks to some innovative thinking from the MIT Media Lab, you can now get your hands on the once forbidden items beyond the barrier — well, your virtual hands, at least.

The new system, called inDepth, enables touch-based interactions with objects that are behind physical barriers. These could be physical objects behind a glass case, or 3D images in a digital display.

To implement inDepth, three force sensors, each with three degrees of freedom, are installed underneath the barrier. The sensors detect the intensity of force applied to the barrier surface by a user. This raw sensor data is transmitted to a nearby computer where a custom algorithm has been implemented that does force detection, contact point calculation, and force-to-depth conversions.

These data points allow for interpretation of user inputs as varied as press, rotation, pivot, reposition, and adjustment of viewpoint. Combined with the depth and positioning information, additional application-specific functionality can be built into a system to allow for interactions with otherwise inaccessible objects.

The system was demonstrated in a number of applications that highlighted its abilities. In one case, inDepth was paired with a 3D display to enable users to manipulate models of protein structures. In another demonstration, a bakery display case was outfitted with force sensors to allow customers to place an order by touching the case above where the items are located. The team further showed that inDesign can be used to explore the internals of physical objects — by applying different levels of pressure on a drill, a user was able to explore the internal components digitally on a computer display.

Transparent user interfaces, such as inDesign, have the potential to dramatically change the way we interact with the world around us. It will be interesting to see what direction these interfaces take in the near future.