MobiSweep: Exploring Spatial Design Ideation Using a Smartphone as a Hand-held Reference Plane

by | Jan 22, 2016

Authors: Vinayak, Devarajan Ramanujan, Cecil Piya, Karthik Ramani
In Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, Netherlands, 2016
https://doi.org/10.1145/2839462.2839490
Paper
Video

In this paper, we explore quick 3D shape composition during early-phase spatial design ideation. Our approach is to re-purpose a smartphone as a hand-held reference plane for creating, modifying, and manipulating 3D sweep surfaces. We implemented MobiSweep, a prototype application to explore a new design space of constrained spatial interactions that combine direct orientation control with indirect position control via well-established multi-touch gestures. MobiSweep leverages kinesthetically aware interactions for the creation of a sweep surface without explicit position tracking. The design concepts generated by users, in conjunction with their feedback, demonstrate the potential of such interactions in enabling spatial ideation.

MobiSweep_CDesign

vinayak

vinayak

Vinayak received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in December 2015. The central theme of his research is the expression of design intent towards supporting early phase idea generation for product form exploration. During his Ph.D. at the C-Design Lab, he investigated symbolic and geometric interpretations of hand gestures, hand grasp, and arm movements for mid-air shape conceptualization. He extended these ideas to the tangible interactions for quick design ideation using hand-held mobile devices. Currently, he is a post-doctoral scholar in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University where he continues working at the C-Design Lab. His current research involves building systems for collaborative design using mobile technology.   Personal Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/fvinayak1/