Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 6.21
Demonstration at
the national museum of
emerging science and
innovation (Miraikan) in
Tokyo, Japan
the touch UI. Most of them did not rub but slid their fingertips lightly on the rubbing
area despite the fact that they needed to make squeaks. Fortunately, the exhibition
staff explained the operation of Bathcratch and showed users how to use it.
This indicates that we need to improve the UI to more clearly indicate that a
rubbing motion that produces squeaks is necessary.
6.4.5
Bathcratch Concluding Remarks
This section described the Bathcratch system, which allows anyone to create DJ
scratching sounds by rubbing a bathtub. The system utilizes the squeaks produced
by rubbing smooth surfaces, of a bathtub, in this case. This section also described
the UIs used for rubbing and touch inputs, which were implemented with a projector,
along with the systems for detecting squeaks and controlling the scratching music.
Bathcratch has been presented at several exhibitions, where it has been awarded
several prizes. Squeaks produced by rubbing smooth surfaces are quite common in
everyday life; for instance, when polishing mirrors, windows, bathtubs, and dishes.
Therefore, this system can utilize a casual action that occurs in daily life as a means of
entertainment. People can control various devices via rubbing motions and squeaks.
Moreover, the input functionalities of this system can be increased by including
rubbing length and timing as additional parameters. As future work, we plan to
simplify the system and analyze the squeaking sounds accurately in terms of the
timing. We also plan to analyze the feasibility of including various other aspects of
rubbing motion as additional input parameters for a general UI; for example, the
number of rubbing fingers, rubbing direction, and the intensity. Finally, we plan
to improve Bathcratch's entertainment functionality, including the music controller,
and further explore the concept of entertainment with common objects found in a
typical home.
