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Accessibility and tangible interaction in distributed workspaces based on multi-touch surfaces

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Abstract

Traditional interaction mechanisms in distributed digital spaces often fail to consider the intrinsic properties of action, perception, and communication among workgroups, which may affect access to the common resources used to mutually organize information. By developing suitable spatial geometries and natural interaction mechanisms, distributed spaces can become blended where the physical and virtual boundaries of local and remote spaces merge together to provide the illusion of a single unified space. In this paper, we discuss the importance of blended interaction in distributed spaces and the particular challenges faced when designing accessible technology. We illustrate this discussion through a new tangible interaction mechanism for collaborative spaces based on tabletop system technology implemented with optical frames. Our tangible elements facilitate the exchange of digital information in distributed collaborative settings by providing a physical manifestation of common digital operations. The tangibles are designed as passive elements that do not require the use of any additional hardware or external power while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the European Regional Development Fund, through the ANNOTA Project (Ref. TIN2013-46036-C3-1-R).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ESET, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, San Bartolomé, 55, 46115, Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain

    Gustavo Salvador-Herranz

  2. Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Jorge D. Camba

  3. Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (I3B), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Ferran Naya & Manuel Contero

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  1. Gustavo Salvador-Herranz
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  2. Jorge D. Camba
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  4. Manuel Contero
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Correspondence to Manuel Contero.

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Salvador-Herranz, G., Camba, J.D., Naya, F. et al. Accessibility and tangible interaction in distributed workspaces based on multi-touch surfaces. Univ Access Inf Soc 17, 247–256 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-017-0563-7

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