01 / Experience
Taking a touchscreen into the third dimension.
JUWL uses the Pepper’s ghost reflection effect to make an image appear within a small object placed on a screen. The project investigated how that reflected image could become interactive rather than remaining a static optical effect.
Developed with Fraunhofer CeRRI and FELD, the accessory extends the experience of a touchscreen through a tangible object. Moving it requires the screen to recognise more than a touch: its position and orientation must remain trackable.
- Year
- 2015
- My contribution
- Technical lead, prototyping, production coordination
- Artistic authorship
- Jacqueline Hen and Martin Luge
- Commissioner
- Fraunhofer CERRI/IAO
- Context
- Commission / studio project
The touchscreen accessory and its reflected image.
02 / My contribution
Material research that had to become a product.
I led the technical development, material and production research, prototyping and small-batch production management. The work involved comparing reflective and flexible foils, conductive materials and fabrication techniques with partners in Germany.
Jacqueline Hen and Martin Luge developed the concept at Fraunhofer CeRRI. FELD provided creative direction, and Michael Markert developed the web application. My focus was the physical accessory and the material behaviour that made its interaction possible.
Research
Compare material behaviour and production methods.
Prototype
Test geometry, conductivity and contact with the screen.
Produce
Coordinate fabrication and small-batch production.
03 / Interaction
Keeping a physical object connected to the screen.
Position and orientation tests explored different contact geometries for capacitive touchscreens. Conductive silicone mixtures, graphite or silver additives, coatings and PCBs were among the approaches considered.
Conductivity was only one part of the problem. The contact also had to move across glass without excessive friction or scratching. A conductive connection to the user’s hand was needed for continuous tracking while the accessory was being moved.
Accessory prototypes and alternative contact geometries.
A comparison of contact forms developed during testing.
04 / Material development
Testing the parts of the optical object.
The prototype series separates the accessory into questions that could be tested: the reflective body, its folding and geometry, and the materials at the contact points. The sample sheets place variants next to one another so their differences can be compared.
This process connected an optical effect to a manufacturable object. A promising visual form also needed a repeatable way to make it and a reliable way to interact with the touchscreen.
Reflective material samples considered during development.
A folded body prototype.
Alternative body constructions and folding studies.
A folding study from the development of the accessory.
05 / Outcome
A material interface for an optical illusion.
The resulting accessory combines reflection, touch sensing and physical handling. The apparently floating image depends on the relationship between the screen, the folded body and the conductive contact beneath it.
JUWL shows how material and production research can be central to interaction design: the interface is shaped as much by contact, friction and fabrication as by the image displayed on the screen.