The Tangible Map project combines a 3D printed surface of the MIT campus with an interactive digital interface. Users can touch buildings on the map to get directions, search for faculty and campus locations, and access real-time visualizations of campus data. The project houses sensors and servers that gather live campus information which is displayed on the map and an iPad. It allows users to explore patterns on campus through visualizations of WiFi usage and dorm activity. The 3D models of over 120 campus buildings were extensively repaired and arranged to fit together puzzle-piece style within the boundaries of the map display.

1. Tangible Map The Tangible Map project combines digital UI design with a capacitive 3D
printed surface containing the core MIT campus. Through interactive
touch and light, the map provides directions on-the-go and indexed
faculty, class and building search. Real-time visualizations overlay
deeper stories and information about the campus to visitors.
Marco Aguilar
CK Ong
Hyungie Sung
Eva Stern-Rodriguez
Will Walker
PROJECT LEAD
Federico Casalegno, PhD
DIRECTOR
PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR
MOBILE EXPERIENCE LAB
About
Team

3. Real-Time Data
The Tangible Map project houses a datagathering
system within a sleek exterior; providing an intuitive way
for students to easily explore the campus.
PCAP INPUT
Touchscreen Surface
SERVER
Regular Polling
EXTERNAL APIs
Regular Polling
MAP
Cached Copy of
Data
IPAD
Cached Copy of
Data
LOCAL DB
Local Copy of all
polled External
Data
MAIL
ANNOUNCEMEN
T
Regular Polling
3D PRINTED BUILDINGS
Conductive Elements in Buildings Activate
Interface
HIGH BRIGHTNESS DISPLAYS
ALUMINUM SHELL
Custom Design
ACRYLIC PROTECTIVE LAYER
TABLE LEGS
Design reminiscent of the acute intersection
of roads across the campus.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram / Twitter
APIs

5. Indexed Search
Faculty
Building
s
Using the provided IPad, search by faculty, building, department or class.
Departmen
t
Clas
s

7. The Hidden Campus
Sampling real-time campus data allows us to visualize hidden patterns within the MIT campus. For example, the number
of WiFi connections increase on main campus throughout the day. During the night, there is greater activity throughout
the undergraduate dorms.

9. MIT in 3D
FIXING THE MODELS
Original models, taken from
Google Maps, required
extensive repair
ARCHITECTURAL SUPPORTS
A novel method of generating
supports for 3D models was
designed and applied to over 120
campus buildings.
PUZZLE CREATION
To constrain the quasi-random
geometry of the 3D models to
the display, a puzzle
generating algorithm was
designed which can conjoin
any geometry into interlocking
structures in a 2D plane.
A 3D printable model of MIT has never been made. The models from this project will be open-sourced.