Tangible Interfaces Tangible Interfaces for Non-Literate for Non-Literate

Rural CommunitiesRural Communities

Message in a Bottle.Message in a Bottle.

Weather Tank.Weather Tank.

LINCOS (LINCOS (Little Intelligent CommunitiesLittle Intelligent Communities).).

Anthropologists have found Anthropologists have found that even the earliest that even the earliest

civilizations have used civilizations have used tangible artifacts to tangible artifacts to

visualize abstract concepts visualize abstract concepts and store information. and store information.

Water Clock, Hour Glass and Water Clock, Hour Glass and Memory Boards are good Memory Boards are good

examples. examples.

African Memory African Memory Board. Board.

Weather Tank.Weather Tank.

Small water tank to Small water tank to visualize weather visualize weather

forecasts to forecasts to fishermen.fishermen.

InteractionsInteractions

Output

Motors with propellers: water turbulence. Air blowing fans: speed and direction of wind. Water temperature: predicted temperatures.

InputUsers can choose the day or night by pushing objects—suns, moons—over the rod from one end to the other.

Interactions cont.Interactions cont.

Message in a Message in a Bottle.Bottle.

Voicemail interface Voicemail interface based on a simple water based on a simple water

bottle.bottle.

InteractionsInteractions

Refilling andRefilling andtransferring messagestransferring messages

ListeningListening RecordingRecording

Fingerprint Fingerprint sensor sensor determines determines identity of user identity of user during refilling during refilling process.process.Recorded Recorded voicemails are voicemails are uploaded to the uploaded to the "Communication "Communication Machine," Machine," incoming incoming voicemails voicemails downloaded to downloaded to the bottle.the bottle.

Refilling and transferring Refilling and transferring messagesmessages

Upon opening Upon opening bottle stored bottle stored

voicemails are voicemails are played back to played back to

useruser

Audio is stored as Audio is stored as MP3 files in MP3 files in

memory chips of a memory chips of a board under the board under the

bottlebottle

ListeningListening

User drops picture of User drops picture of person to person to communicate with communicate with into bottle.into bottle.

RFID sensor RFID sensor registers identity of registers identity of recipient, voicemail recipient, voicemail is recorded with is recorded with built-in microphone.built-in microphone.

After recording, After recording, user removes user removes picture from picture from bottle and takes bottle and takes bottle to refilling bottle to refilling machine.machine.

RecordingRecording

Deva Seetharam and Stefan MartiDeva Seetharam and Stefan Martideva@media, stefanm@mediadeva@media, stefanm@media