ShapeShift: Mediating User Interaction Through Augmented Shading and Shadow

In this paper, we describe ShapeShift, our initial exploration into creating a holistic object augmentation by extending physical properties of objects with augmented reality. As a first step, we choose manipulations of shading and shadow for exploration. Shading and shadow are form-giving properties of an object. These attributes play two main roles in perceiving the object: (1) they delineate physical properties of the object (form and texture) and (2) contextualise the object's relation to its environment. This project aims to give shadow and shading the ability to change the perception of an object, allowing for new affordances and interactions to emerge.