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Interactive Workbench
A work surface that allows the user to manually rearrange objects on it while it wirelessly tracks their positions quickly and accurately.

Who:

From Steelcase: Joel Stanfield
From the Media Lab: Prof. Hiroshi Ishii and the Tangible Media research group
When:

2002
Where:

MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Why:

Steelcase and the Tangible Media group wanted to develop an example of future furniture that integrated technology in new ways. The system needed to conceal the technology, require no user training, and be aesthetically pleasing. It also needed to be easy to manufacture, break down, ship, and reassemble.

Details

  • Steelcase designed the table (Sensetable) that would support the application.
  • The collaborators worked primarily over email and conference calls, after their initial face-to-face meeting.
  • The Workbench can support many different applications, including: Urp—an urban planning system; supply chain visualization; and AudioPad, a two-handed manipulation system that creates performances by moving objects on the table.
  • This project is on display at the Get in Touch exhibit at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria.

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