Liquids, Smoke, and Soap Bubbles – Reflections on Materials for Ephemeral User Interfaces (2010)

Axel Sylvester

University of Hamburg

Tanja Döring, Albrecht Schmidt

University of Duisburg-Essen

paper

Comments: ..

This is a short paper intended to "provoke thoughts about durability, control, and materiality

of tangible user interfaces" by introducing the concept of an "ephemeral user interface" composed of transient materials, liquid, smoke and soap bubbles, that eludes complete user control by demanding that the inputs be treated delicately, as the bubbles inevitably will burst. The user interacts with a computer system by generating and then manipulating soap bubbles which can be empty or filled with smoke. The interaction surface is composed of a dark liquid on which the bubbles land after being generated.

This work is motivated by the increasing presence of computing in our everyday tasks and the lack of research in the area of materials used for interaction, despite studies illustrating "the importance of materials and materiality for humans." By using such unusual and transient materials such as smoke and soap bubbles, this work easily provokes thought about the possibilities of materials and "handles" used for interaction through its unusualness and "contradiction to ordinary technical and durable materials of computer technology."

Soap bubbles are highly symbolic and therefore are relevant to many fields including science, art, and entertainment. A fascination with soap bubbles occurs when viewing them as "'in-between' spaces - spaces that are neither real nor fully virtual." This is easily applied and understood from a computing interface perspective.

The system consists of a small, dark, round pool of liquid with camera beneath tracking the bubbles, which are blown onto the surface of the liquid from above. Either empty or smoke filled bubbles can be generated, and an overhead projector can illuminate the bubbles.

Once on the surface of the liquid, the bubbles can then be moved either by blowing or gently touching. In one application, the size of the bubbles determines the brightness of the ambient light in the room, and the x and y coordinates control red and blue hues of the ambient light in the room.

The researchers see this as a playful, entertaining, yet useful interaction mechanism as computing is further integrated into our everyday lives. For example, the paper suggests "a growing demand for user interfaces for services where specific and accurate control is not necessary and playful interaction with diverse materials suits the situation well." To illustrate this concept, the paper also suggests the concept of "buttons on demand" which could use these ephemeral materials or simple ambient displays.

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I like the ideas that this paper provokes. I hadn't thought of such approaches to tangible user interfaces. I tend to view currently available hardware and think of ideas of how to use those for interfaces. This paper inspires me to think of alternate materials and input methods and devices.