A spatially-aware tangible interface for computer-aided design

Abstract

This paper presents a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) platform for designers to navigate and construct 3D model intuitively through Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs). We suggest that 3D geometry can be inspected and modified in real-time through manipulating physical tokens on horizontal and vertical projected referential planes. A semi-transparent tablet as vertical display can be dynamically placed on the horizontal projected plane that triggers displaying spatially-contiguous 3D section images of the 3D CAD model. Our approach explores the spatially-aware tangible interface that couples the fragmented viewpoints with physical constraints to enhance the visual and spatial qualities of 3D representation to CAD designers.