The document discusses the development of tangible interaction models for exhibitions, specifically focusing on Trajan's weapons frieze. It highlights the importance of hands-on experiences in museums and introduces innovative, cost-effective hardware solutions for object tracking within collaborative virtual environments. This work is supported by a team of researchers and aims to enhance cultural learning through engaging storytelling and interactive experiences.

1. MW19
Simple Tangible Interaction
An Illumination of Trajan’s Weapons Frieze and
Open-source Models For Exhibition Development and
Hands-on Storytelling
Todd Berreth, Assistant Professor of Art + Design
Chancellor’s Visual Narrative Cluster
North Carolina State University

2. collaborators:
Prof. Maurizio Forte (co-PI) (Duke)
Nevio Danelon (post-doc) (Duke)
Connor Shipway (research assistant)(NCSU)

3. Prof. Maurizio Forte - Dig@Lab
Dig@Lab (Maurizio Forte), Duke University

6. TITA
(Tangible Interactive Table for Archaeology)
(2015-2016)

7. CHESS:
Cultural Heritage
Experiences through
Socio-personal Interactions
& Storytelling
(2011 – 2014)

8. Muntean, R. et al.
Belongings: Tangible Interactions with
Intangible Heritage. Electronic
Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2015)
(2015)
Chu, J.H. el al,
Mapping Place: Supporting Cultural
Learning through a Lukasa-inspired
Tangible Tabletop Museum Exhibit.
Proceedings of the Ninth International
Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and
Embodied Interaction (2015)

9. The hands-on experience is very important, for having
tangible feedback from objects and to generate a visual
narrative, by touching and combining physical/virtual
interaction simultaneously, to customize the visit
according to the experience and empathy generated by
the unique artifacts.

10. In the more social environment of a museum, users may
be disinclined to isolate themselves with a head-
mounted display, or spend time learning the interaction
vocabulary of a game controller, stylus and the like.

12. In collaborative virtual environments (CVEs), where
multiple coexistent users experience a space together,
there has been some difficulty developing easy-to-use
and intuitive mechanisms for navigating through a virtual
world, and interacting with its objects.

14. Reactable / Reactivision (2005)
Bencina, R., Kaltenbrunner, M. and Jordà, et al

15. tangible object tracking hardware
custom “one-off” museum projects commercial hardware
Ideum
Reactable
camera-basedmarker tracking system with projected image
capacitive marker tracking system over LCD display

16. Ideum – Tangible Engine SDK

17. existing commercial hardware technologies –
- too expensive for university research labs and
many museums ($6000+)
- often uses proprietary software development kits
- usually not open-source – cannot modify, hybridize or
improve as needed
table-based tangible object tracking hardware

21. inexpensive fabrication
mini – gaming pc
short throw projector
acrylic surfaces for projection and touch
infrared tracking camera
infrared lamps
misc electronics (fans, power supply, LEDs, wiring)
front-surface mirror
lumber, raw materials, hardware
$ USD +/-
700
700
150
100
100
100
30
400
$2000-2500 +/-

22. parts exported from FreeCAD into Sketchup for assembly testing
base table configuration (simple tray, no equipment saddlebag)
(750mm x 500mm x 850mm table specified)

24. editable design file in open-source parametric modeling software (FreeCAD)
set parameters of table (size desired, etc.) and
equipment/hardware specified in spreadsheet,
and parts adjust automatically

26. fabrication and assembly process

27. fabrication and assembly process

28. games-based learning

29. consumer lcd tv and tracking frame (PQ Labs)(60 touch pts)
+ inexpensive and easy to build
+ more stable/robust
- limited number of tracked objects
- no freely accessible object tracking software

30. TITA TRAJAN
Museum of the Imperial Forum, Rome
(2017-2018)

32. alternate modalities for Trajan Exhibition (Trajan Puzzle Project)
Dig@Lab (Maurizio Forte), Duke University

38. conceptual sketches by Julia Lui

45. A Tangible Illumination of Trajan’s Weapons Frieze
for commemorative event marking the 1900th anniversary of Emperor Trajan’s death

47. installation in exedra cove (Museum of the Imperial Forum/Trajan Market, Rome, Italy) no climate control
minimal security

49. SIMPLE TANGIBLE INTERFACE
(2018)
“Hello, world!”

53. user target:
• no electronics knowledge
• no coding knowledge
• proficient computer skills
• proficient with some maker technologies (3d printer/lasercutter)
fabrication requirements:
• all construction materials sourced from local store (Home Depot/Lowes)
• electronics via online store (Amazon)
• no soldering
• simple hand tools and glue
• access to computer (PC/MAC/Linux) and display (hdmi)

57. multi-id piece
conductive material

58. https://simpletangible.wordpress.ncsu.edu/

59. INTERESTING PROJECTS:

60. project
finished
Dec 2018
Ideum,
community
partners,
NSF funded
(2010)

61. George Oates,
Good, Form and
Spectacle