Tangible Viewports: Getting Out of Flatland in Desktop Environments

Spatial augmented reality and tangible interaction enrich the standard computer I/O space. Systems based on such modalities offer new user experiences and open up interesting perspectives in various fields. On the other hand, such systems tend to live outside the standard desktop paradigm and, as a consequence, they do not benefit from the richness and versatility of desktop environments. In this work, we propose to join together physical visualization and tangible interaction within a standard desktop environment. We introduce the concept of Tangible Viewport, an on-screen window that creates a dynamic link between augmented objects and computer screens, allowing a screen-based cursor to move onto the object in a seamless manner. We describe an implementation of this concept and explore the interaction space around it. A preliminary evaluation shows the metaphor is transparent to the users while providing the benefits of tangibility.