In recent years we have seen a proliferation of musical tables. Believing that this is not just the result of a tabletop trend, in this paper we first discuss several of the reasons for which live music performance and HCI in general, and musical instruments and tabletop interfaces in particular, can lead to a fertile two-way cross-pollination that can equally benefit both fields. After that, we present the reac Table, a musical instrument based on a tabletop interface that exemplifies several of these potential achievements.

The reacTable: exploring the synergy between live music performance and tabletop tangible interfaces

This paper reviews the existing literature on input device evaluation and design in human-computer interaction (HCI) and discusses possible applications of this knowledge to the design and evaluation of new interfaces for musical expression. Specifically, a set of musical tasks is suggested to allow the evaluation of different existing controllers.

Evaluation of Input Devices for Musical Expression: Borrowing Tools from HCI

In this paper we present a novel hardware and software platform (STARS) to realize computer augmented tabletop games that unify the strengths of traditional board games and computer games. STARS game applications preserve the social situation of traditional board games and provide a tangible interface with physical playing pieces to facilitate natural interaction. The virtual game components offer exciting new opportunities for game design and provide richer gaming experiences impossible to realize with traditional media.This paper describes STARS in terms of the hardware setup and the software platform used to develop and play STARS games. The interaction design within STARS is discussed and sample games are presented with regard to their contributions to enhancing user experience. Finally, real-world experiences with the platform are reported.

Towards the next generation of tabletop gaming experiences

We explore a variety of design criteria applicable to the creation of collaborative interfaces for musical experience. The main factor common to the design of most collaborative interfaces for novices is that musical control is highly restricted, which makes it possible to easily learn and participate in the collective experience. Balancing this trade off is a key concern for designers, as this happens at the expense of providing an upward path to virtuosity with the interface. We attempt to identify design considerations exemplified by a sampling of recent collaborative devices primarily oriented toward novice interplay. It is our intention to provide a non-technical overview of design issues inherent in configuring multiplayer experiences, particularly for entry-level players.

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Contexts of collaborative musical experiences

We describe a user study of a large multi-user interactive surface deployed for an initial period within a real world setting. The surface was designed to enable the sharing and exchange of a wide variety of digital media. The setting for the study was the common room of a high school where students come together to mix, socialize, and collaborate throughout the day. We report on how the students use the new technology within their own established communal space. Findings show that the system was used extensively by the students in a variety of ways, including sharing of photos, video clips, and websites, and for facilitating social interaction. We discuss how the interactive shared surface was appropriated by the students and introduced into their everyday lives in ways that both mirrored and extended their existing practices within the communal space.

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The introduction of a shared interactive surface into a communal space

This paper will describe the multi-user interactive music system known as the Jam-O-Drum developed at Interval Research Corporation.1 By combining velocity sensitive input devices and computer graphics imagery into an integrated tabletop surface, up to six simultaneous players are able to participate in a collaborative approach to musical improvisation. We demonstrate that this interactive music system embraces both the novice and musically trained participants by taking advantage of their intuitive abilities and social interaction skills. In this paper and accompanying video, we present conclusions from user testing of this device along with examples of interaction design methods and prototypes of interpretive musical and game-like development schemes. Our research was conducted in two phases with two different development teams and will accordingly be addressed herein as Phase One and Phase Two development.

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Tim Perkis

Papers

The Jam-O-Drum interactive music system: a study in interaction design