Multitouch Table at MoMA (TauFish)

Overview

This interactive installation was developed in cooperation with MoMA New York and shown at the exhibition "Un-Private House" at MoMA in 1999. The project demonstrated early innovations in touch interaction and sensing technology, allowing visitors to explore architectural content through natural touch gestures.

Technical Implementation

Sensing System

• Custom sensing array under the table surface

• Precise x-y position detection of hands

• Multiple simultaneous touch detection

• Above-surface proximity sensing

Operating Principle

• Electrode charge rate measurement

• Hand proximity affects charge requirements

• Slower charge rate indicates hand presence

• Mathematical model predicts charge amounts based on hand location

• "Hotspot" recognition through charge pattern analysis

Media

Exhibition Context

Part of "The Un-Private House" at MoMA, the installation provided:

• Interactive architectural exploration

• Natural user interface demonstration

• Public engagement with digital content

• Novel interaction paradigms

Technical Innovation

• Early implementation of capacitive multi-touch

• Above-surface proximity detection

• Real-time response system

• Public installation of interactive technology

Impact

• Influenced touch interface development

• Advanced public interactive installations

• Demonstrated capacitive sensing capabilities

• Pioneered architectural visualization interfaces

Related Work

• Later developments in touch sensing

• Museum installation technologies

• Interactive architecture visualization

• Public space computing