(c) 2007, Angela Chang,Prototyping Lecture @ Tufts 3/12/07

The LumiTouch Project the path from idea to

product

need idea team action plan

Goal: Create a sense of real-time remote presence Implementation: A digitally augmented picture

frame which allows touch to be sent over the internet as light

The LumiTouch Project

“We both work late.” “I don’t want to

interrupt… …or be interrupted” “We are separated by

an ocean…”

Human beings are social animals.

Motivation

I am at school, my boyfriend is at work.

We stay late.

Inspirations

“Is he thinking of me?” “If only I could share my feelings...” “I don’t want to interrupt…”

Presented at TED 4 @ Kobe, 1993 and DOP 2 @ Amsterdam, 1994

SIGGRAPH Video Review, 106-10, ACM, 1994

The result…• a live demo in last class• Paper accepted, presented, and demoed @ CHI2001• working demo at the Media Lab• a patent application• Job opportunities• Products: Ambient devices

The 5 Ingredients

need

ideateam

actionplan

Need

• Personal motivations• A bug list – a list of

observations– “Wouldn’t it be nice

if….” (I could tell when he was thinking of me)

– “I hate…” (not knowing where he was)

Each member shares/sees a common need that this product will address.

Inspiration

• Augment a picture frame of my significant other.

• Enhance a picture frame to allow real-time 2-way communication.

• However, keep the ambient non-intrusive qualities of original static picture.

How can technology help?

IdeasA good idea does not rely on the group,

when the group disperses, the idea remains.“The best way to get good ideas, is to get lots of ideas”- Linus Pauling

The Team

• Everyone contributes something different.

• Mutual respect, no power plays

• All are invested in the work

• Communication

MockUps

• Paper prototyping• Experience Prototyping

– Mood boards– Story

• Software Prototyping– Flash demo

• Hardware Prototyping– Hard Appearance Model– Working technology

demo (java)

Excitement = action

Prototyping resources

James Gouldstonehttp://Anjchang.com/jimbones/

Durrel Bishop’s marble answering machine RCA’93http://www.esas-fc.net/candidate/conseils/conseils.htm

http://xenia.media.mit.edu/~kelly/webMaterials.htm

Planning

• Related Work- see what’s already out there– Existing products– Existing research papers http://acm.org/dl

• Constraints & Deadlines are necessary– Scale it down – Narrow the scope

• Documentation writes itself… almost• Talk to each other and other people

Schedule

Time is ticking, use it wisely.

Implementation

Totally software reconfigurable- very little logic in hardware

Touch input for sending

Red, Green and Blue

Sides of frame are lit up by color reception

Top of picture is feedback panel

Proximity sensor Proximity output LED

the Demo

Tangible outputs

• Hallmark was impressed at sponsor week

• User specifications • Real product…?• Patent granted!• Something to play

with.

Acknowledgements

• Tangible Media Group• Pet Projects• MIT Department of Architecture• Harvard Graduate School of Design• Dan Stiehl (Latex Molding)• Ari Benbasat and Responsive Environments• Rob Jacobs, Rich Fletcher (tmg critiquers)• Our loved ones

LumiTouch: An Emotional Communication Device

Angela Chang, Ben Resner*, Brad Koerner**, XingChen Wang***, Hiroshi

Ishii

MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media Group*MIT Media Lab, Pet Projects Group

**Harvard Graduate School of Design***MIT Department of Architecture