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ProjecString.

Turning an Everyday String Curtain into an Interactive Display

Presented at.
  • ACM SIGGRAPH Posters, 2022
  • ACM SIGGRAPH Art Papers Roundtable, 2022 (selected poster)
  • KAIST Media Interaction Design, 2021


DOI︎︎︎  PAPER︎︎︎  POSTER︎︎︎  VIDEO︎︎︎

Timeline

Oct - Dec 2021 (3 months)

Team Project

  • Yeeun Shin
  • Wooje Chang 
  • Yeon Soo Kim

Deliverables

  • New Media
  • Interactive Installation
  • SIGGRAPH Poster

Tools

Unity 3D(C#). Illustrator. Premiere Pro.
Physical Computing. Arduino. Projection.



What if we could physically interact with information, like grasping or walking through it?


We present ProjecString, a touch-sensitive string curtain projection display
that encourages novel interactions via touching, grasping, and seeing and walking through the display.
We embed capacitive-sensing conductive chains into an everyday string curtain, turning it into both a space divider and an interactive display.





My Role    Interaction Designer + Interactive Prototyper


  • Mainly contributed to Concept Development, Interactive Prototyping, Unity Development, and Video Editing.
  • Participated in manufacturing, installation and user interview.
  • As co-first author, I presented this work at SIGGRAPH 2022.




ABSTRACT

We present ProjecString, a touch-sensitive string curtain projection display that encourages novel interactions via touching, grasping, and seeing and walking through the display. We embed capacitive-sensing conductive chains into an everyday string curtain, turning it into both a space divider and an interactive display. This novel take on transforming an everyday object into an interactive projection surface with a unique translucent property creates novel interactions that are both immersive and isolating.






Background


Projection displays are ubiquitous in everyday life, used for showing movies at a corner of a bar or dividing spaces in an art exhibit. However, they serve a passive role, limiting the engagement with the audience to a one-way communication.

What if they could interact more with us?
The idea of non-conventional projection display primarily takes two forms: flexible yet unbreakable interactive surfaces and mist-like, yet untouchable displays.

We propose a touchable and breakable display using a unique projection medium.

Related Works







Approach


ProjecString


ProjecString captures both the interactivity and the range of interactions by combining string curtain (as the projection medium) and conductive chains (as touch-sensitive sensor). This novel take on transforming an everyday object into an interactive surface with a unique translucent property creates novel interactions that are both immersive and isolating. 

︎People can touch and grasp the curtain, physically interacting with the projected media.


Front View of ProjecString Touch-sensitive interaction

︎ They can also walk through the curtain. Also, the translucent property of the strings enables users to see the projection from both sides of the curtain, encouraging simultaneous multi-user interactions.


Walk through interaction See through, translucent property Multi-user, dual-side interaction.




System Design


Geometric layout of the string curtain

Nineteen input modules are embedded evenly among the curtain strings, consistently detecting users’ touch. Weights at the bottom ensures that the chains return to position while providing constant downward force for more consistent electrical connection.




Simple schematic of system

We employ capacitive sensing method using the conductive chains, connecting the chains to an Arduino Mega 2560. By sending out pulses at a constant interval from the output pins and detecting for any delay ins in the input pins, the curtain is able to detect touches; when a person touches the conductive chain embedded in the curtain, the capacitive interference creates a signal delay.





Making Process






Demo & Evaluation


︎Exhibition with audience engagement


Created interactive jazz band scenario

A jazz quintet plays behind a closed curtain. When a person touches the curtain, a portion of it disappears, revealing a musician in that position. The revealed musician's instrument is also amplified, providing both visual and audio feedback to the touch.




Observed an open audience interaction
Initially, the audience tentatively touched the strings to see what kind of responses occurred. Once the audience realized that any type of touch elicited a response, the interactions became more unique: grasping, twisting parts of the display and running their hands across the curtain for a unique swaying experience.
People on opposite sides of the curtain would sometimes work together, either stabilizing the curtain by applying force from both sides or creating harmonies by touching different musicians.


︎Evaluation through interview

Post-exhibit interview revealed that the novel types of interaction encouraged audiences to interact with the projected media more, increasing engagement and joy attained from the interactions. Some noted that they were encouraged to interact with the curtain in more creative ways after seeing others trying out “goofy” interactions such as poking heads through. One participant noted that the experience felt more 3D than simple interactive projections on the wall, since they could walk around and engage with the projection from any direction. The flexibility and the strength in drawing people's attention make ProjecString suitable for public installation purposes, dividing spaces without restricting people's movement and giving information simultaneously.

︎Future work

The sensitivity of capacitive sensing would drop for people with dry hands. Future work could implement a threshold adjustment system adapting to the environmental conditions to better accommodate different skin conditions.






Achievement


Published at the premiere conference in Interactive Techniques & Computer Graphics:
SIGGRAPH 2022 Poster

  • Also presented at 
    Art Papers Roundtable Session: Visions (CV and Image Capture), as a Selected Poster.





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ⓒ 2023 DESIGN/CODE BY YEEUN SHIN