Cloth displays: interacting with drapable textile screens

In this paper, we present a user interface for a textile computer display. It allows users to interact in ways that flow from the natural properties of cloth, with an interface that physically conforms to the shape of the object on which a task is performed. While recent work on flexible interfaces has shown promising results, physical properties such as the rigidity of the display remain a barrier to interaction scenarios that are truly physically flexible. We discuss interaction techniques for our cloth user interface, which include gestures such as pinching, draping, stretching and squeezing. Our interaction techniques employ the unique physical characteristics of cloth, including flexibility and shape-taking. We reflect on the system and examine potential directions for future work.