• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2011

In tangible augmented reality (AR) environments for virtual prototyping, the user interacts with virtual products by manipulating tangible objects with his or her hands, but the user often encounter awkward situations in which his or her hands are occluded by augmented virtual objects, which reduces both immersion and ease of interaction. In this paper, we present how to resolve such hand region occlusion in order to enhance natural interaction and immersive visualization. In the AR environment considered, we use two types (product-type and pointer-type) of tangible objects for tangible user interaction with a virtual product of interest. Holding the tangible objects with his or her hands, the user can create input events by touching specified regions of the product-type tangible object with the pointer-type tangible object. We developed a method for resolving hand region occlusion frequently arising during such user interaction, It first detect hand region in a real image and refines the rendered image of the virtual object by subtracting the hand region from the rendered image, Then, it superimposes the refined image onto the real image to obtain an image in which the occlusion is resolved. Incorporated into tangible AR interaction for virtual prototyping of handheld products such as cellular phones and MP3 players, the method has been found by a preliminary user study that it is not only useful to improve natural interaction and immersive visualization of virtual products, but also helpful for making the users experience the products' shapes and functions better.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

In this paper, we propose an AR-based tangible interaction using a finger fixture for virtual evaluation of digital handheld products. To realize tangible interaction between a user and a product in a computer-vision based AR environment, we uses two types of tangible objects: a product-type object and a finger fixture. The product-type object is used to acquire the position and orientation of the product, and the finger fixture is used to recognize the position of a finger tip. The two objects are fabricated by RP technology and AR markers are attached to them. The finger fixture is designed to satisfy various requirements with an ultimate goal that the user holding the finger fixture in his or her index finger can create HMI events by touching specified regions (buttons or sliders) of the product-type object with the finger tip. By assessing the accuracy of the proposed interaction, we have found that it can be applied to a wide variety of digital handheld products whose button size is not less than 6 mm. After performing the design evaluation of several handheld products using the proposed AR-based tangible interaction, we received highly encouraging feedback from users since the proposed interaction is intuitive and tangible enough to provide a feeling like manipulating products with human hands.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.762-770
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• 2014

Tangible Space Initiative (TSI) is a new framework that can provide a more natural and intuitive Human Computer Interface for users. This is composed of three cooperative components: a Tangible Interface, Responsive Cyber Space, and Tangible Agent. In this paper we present a Tangible Tele-Meeting system in TSI, which allows people to communicate with each other without any spatial limitation. In addition, we introduce a method for registering a Tangible Avatar with a Tangible Agent. The suggested method is based on relative pose estimation between the user and the Tangible Agent. Experimental results show that the user can experience an interaction environment that is more natural and intelligent than that provided by conventional tele-meeting systems.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.302-310
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• 2013

Many museums have recently employed digital technologies in exhibition installations to provide visitors with interactive experiences with the installations, not just audiences. However, most of them have focused on the adoption of new prototypes or technologies, not considering user experiences of those systems carefully. This study developed an evaluation tool for usability of the tangible user interfaces and conducted a usability study on museum installations emphasizing user interaction and experience. The evaluation tool is composed of 5 features of tangible user interfaces such as tangible, interaction, convenience, representation, spatial interaction and social interaction, and 24 items. The museum we investigated is the Gwacheon National Science Museum, where 8 installations, classified 4 categories, were selected for the usability study. We recruited 6 undergraduate students, who were divided into 2 teams, each team having 3 students. Three students in a team manipulated and experience each installation together and reported their evaluation score through the questionnaire and interviews. The results showed that the score of the usability for the category 3, which requires students to move their bodies for the interaction, is the highest one because it features with spatial interaction. Students expressed much interest in the category 4, which utilizes users' other senses, however, the score of the usability is the lowest because the interaction is temporary and repetitive. Most installations are well designed in terms of control constraints, legibility, lower thresholds, participation encouragement, and open to the public, but pooly designed in terms of multiple access points, configurability, accurate movement, ambient media, and full-body interaction.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.553-564
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• 2012

Tangible user interfaces have been developed in the area of Human-Computer Interaction for the last decades, however, the applied domains recently have been extended into the product design and interactive art. Tangible User Interfaces are the combination of digital information and physical objects or environments, thus they provide tangible and intuitive interaction as input and output devices, often combined with Augmented Reality. The research developed a design guideline for tangible user interfaces based on key properties of tangible user interfaces defined previously in five representative research: Tangible Interaction, Intuitiveness and Convenience, Expressive Representation, Context-aware and Spatial Interaction, and Social Interaction. Using the guideline emphasizing user interaction, this research evaluated installation in a science museum in terms of the applied characteristics of tangible user interfaces. The selected 15 installations which were evaluated are to educate visitors for science by emphasizing manipulation and experience of interfaces in those installations. According to the input devices, they are categorized into four Types. TUI properties in Type 3 installation, which uses body motions for interaction, shows the highest score, where items for context-aware and spatial interaction were highly rated. The context-aware and spatial interaction have been recently emphasized as extended properties of tangible user interfaces. The major type of installation in the science museum is equipped with buttons and joysticks for physical manipulation, thus multimodal interfaces utilizing visual, aural, tactile senses etc need to be developed to provide more innovative interaction. Further, more installation need to be reconfigurable for embodied interaction between users and the interactive space. The proposed design guideline can specify the characteristics of tangible user interfaces, thus this research can be a basis for the development and application of installation involving more TUI properties in future.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Design Studies Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.16-17
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• 2000

폭발적인 편재성의 증가로 인해 테크날러지는 이제 인간에게 어디서든 접근 가능한 것이 되었음과 동시에, 모순적이게도 "보이지 않게" 되었다. 그러나, 이러한 모순적인 이중성은 필연적이며 테크날러지의 시대상을 바라보는 데에 더없이 유용하다. 어떻게 하면 이러한 테크날러지와 함께 살아갈 것인가\ulcorner (중략)

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.417-425
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• 2012

In recent years, great attention has been paid to using simple physical objects as tangible objects to improve user interaction in augmented reality (AR) environments. In this paper, we address AR-based user interaction using tangible objects, which has been used as a key component for virtual design evaluation of engineered products including digital handheld products. We herein consider the use of two types (product-type and pointer-type) of tangible objects. The user creates input events by touching specified parts of the product-type object with the pointer-type object, and the virtual product reacts to the events by rendering its visual and auditory contents on the output devices. The product-type object is used to reflect the geometric shape of a product of interest and to determine its position and orientation in the AR environment. The pointer-type object is used to recognize the reference position of the pointer (or finger) in the same environment. The rapid prototype of the product is employed as a good alternative to the product-type object, but various alternatives to the pointer-type object can be considered according to fabrication process and touching mechanism. In this paper, we present four alternatives to the pointer-type object and investigate their strong and weak points by performing experimental comparison of their various aspects including interaction accuracy, task performance, and qualitative user experience.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 2008

This paper presents a novel approach to design evaluation of portable consumer electronic (PCE) products using augmented reality (AR) based tangible interaction and functional behavior simulation. In the approach, the realistic visualization is acquired by overlaying the rendered image of a PCE product on the real world environment in real-time using computer vision based augmented reality. For tangible user interaction in an AR environment, the user creates input events by touching specified regions of the product-type tangible object with the pointer-type tangible object. For functional behavior simulation, we adopt state transition methodology to capture the functional behavior of the product into a markup language-based information model, and build a finite state machine (FSM) to controls the transition between states of the product based on the information model. The FSM is combined with AR-based tangible objects whose operation in the AR environment facilitates the realistic visualization and functional simulation of the product, and thus realizes faster product design and development. Based on the proposed approach, a product design evaluation system has been developed and applied for the design evaluation of various PCE products with highly encouraging feedbacks from users.

• Archives of design research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.463-470
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• 2004

This paper studied tangible interaction design of VR platform and its applications that are economic In development process and cost, flexible by contents and installation conditions, and that has business potential for consumer market. The design solution uses video based virtual world and tangible interaction by motion tracking. Our platform enables a user to monitor their action and to collaborate with other users of remote place within attractive interaction feedback. We developed two design applications, Glass Xylophone 2003 and VR Class, in our platform. Glass Xylophone 2003 provides interactive music performance and helps self practice of glass xylophone. VR Class gives more serious distance learning experience with tutoring and group collaboration. They are presented in public exhibitions and tested by exhibition visitors. They showed application potential of this design solution in interactive game, distance learning, and entertainment field.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.943-948
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• 2009

In the research of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), we always use the GUI（graphical user interface） of graphics input devices until we invent TUI (tangible user interface) which is used to control the computer by hand-touching or other subjects. In this study, we investigate and classify several TUI for the most part in business with the theory and concept of Tangible Bits by Hiroshi Ishii & Brygg Ullmer in order to research the development of TUI.