FingerDraw: more than a digital paintbrush

Research in cognitive science shows that engaging in visual arts has great benefits for children particularly when it allows them to bond with nature [7]. In this paper, we introduce FingerDraw, a novel drawing interface that aims to keep children connected to the physical environment by letting them use their surroundings as templates and color palette. The FingerDraw system consists of (1) a finger-worn input device [13] which allows children to upload visual contents such as shapes, colors and textures that exist in the real world; (2) a tablet with touch interface that serves as a digital canvas for drawing. In addition to real-time drawing activities, children can also collect a palette of colors and textures in the input device and later feed them into the drawing interface. Initial reactions from a case study indicated that the system could keep a child engaged with their surroundings for hours to draw using the wide range of shapes, colors and patterns found in the natural environment.