MxR: A Physical Model-Based Mixed Reality Interface for Design Collaboration, Simulation, Visualization and Form Generation

Abstract

MxR—pronounced “mixer”—is a Mixed/Augmented Reality system intended to support collaboration during early phases of architectural design. MxR allows an interdisciplinary group of practitioners and stakeholders to gather around a table, discuss and test different hypotheses, visualize results, simulate different physical systems, and generate simple forms. MxR is also a test-bed for collaborative interactions and demonstrates different configuration potentials, from exploration of individual alternatives to group discussion around a physical model. As a MR-VR transitional interface, MxR allows for movement along the reality-virtuality continuum, while employing a simple tangible user-interface and a MagicLens interaction technique.