What is MIT media lab's tangible bits?

Tangible user interfaces include services through which humans can interact with digital information through their physical environment. It is a guiding principle in HCI research at Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab.

There is considerable research and development around sensing and manipulating physical environments, but that has not been incorporated into commonly used GUI. Tangible bits build upon the new developments to give a physical form to digital information and connect it to the peripheral senses.

Tangible user interfaces provide a bridge between the physical world and digital information. They use the human senses of touch and physical awareness to communicate with digital information.

The current research around the topic at the MIT Media Lab is also looking into ambient media, such as background light, sound, airflow, and water movement, and how we can use this to convey digital information to the human mind. Their goal is to change the way traditional GUI works with physical bits and change it into tangible bits, incorporating human senses and awareness. This is an attempt to create a connection between the digital space and the physical environment by making the digital information tangible and graspable.

Goal

The goals of the research around tangible bits include:

1. Converting architectural space into an active interface between the physical and the digital worlds by using interfaces such as walls, doors, windows, etc.
2. Couple and combine digital information with touchable objects such as books, cards, etc.
3. Use ambient media (such as airflow, light, sound, etc.) to convey digital information to the human mind and peripheral awareness.