Interaction Techniques for Non-planar and Flexible Computing Devices Based on OLED and E-Ink Display Technologies

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Electrophoretic Ink (E-Ink) and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technologies, combined with thin-film, flexible circuit substrates are starting to deliver displays that are so thin and flexible, they are referred to as digital paper. These technologies will allow for displays that curve around the surface of any form, 3D or flexible. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) was invented for flat, single-display, single-coordinate input/output. It is too limited for this new generation of non-flat computers. Major advances on input technologies are required for such computers to sense multi-handed, multi-finger touch as well as shape transformation and haptics. The overall goal of this project is the development of new Organic User Interface (OUI) techniques for non-flat computers. We propose that these OUIs will feature shape-based multi-touch inputs that operate on wrap-around thin-film, flexible display surfaces that come in any 3D shape or form. These involve curved and flexible designs, as well as implementations of textile, plastic, cardboard, and paper-like computers. To achieve this goal, our first objective will be to develop input techniques for non-flat displays. We will then develop interaction techniques and applications for such computers. These techniques will then be implemented on rigid and flexible displays of arbitrary forms. Finally, interaction techniques, applications and concept products will be tested and validated empirically through user studies. Research will be conducted by researchers and graduate and undergraduate students at Queen's School of Computing in collaboration with top researchers at Autodesk Research Canada and the University of Tokyo, and industrial designer Yves Behar at fuseproject. The expected outcomes include a number of concept products of the future, e.g., a flexible green e-book reader. Commercialization of research results will be in coordinated through Queen's PARTEQ Innovations in cooperation with Autodesk. Economic benefits of the research include new sector development as well as the training of highly qualified personnel for that new sector. The outcome includes green display technologies that consume less energy than the technologies they replace.