User interfaces

with hybrid and printed electronics

We have been working on hybrid electronic systems for turning physical objects into digital interfaces. By combining printed electronics and off-the-shelf components, we are prototyping physical-digital interaction techniques that aim to incorporate technology with our lives in a robust and sustainable way. 

The proposed systems augment physical objects such as printed books with capabilities that confer access to rich and relevant multimedia content using familiar gestures and intuitive interaction.

Magic Bookmark

The manufacturability and handling problems of the a-book, are addressed with the Magic Bookmark solution. The system is a physical bookmark with hidden electronics that recognise an optical pattern on the pages of a book. This allows for both soft and hard cover books to utilise the augmentation ecosystem of the Next Generation Paper project, with a system that is easier to manufacture, costs less, and integrates seamlessly with the reading experience.

read more on our flagship publication
The Next Generation Paper a-book prototype. The control electronics are shown as picture in picture.

Next Generation Paper

In this multidisciplinary project, we are introducing the LightTags, for the augmented travel guide prototype, the "a-book". The LightTags are organic photovoltaics embedded in the pages of a physical book, used to automatically detect the active page. Through iterative design, the electronics are miniaturised and abstracted from the user in the hard cover of the book.
You can find out more about the project at nextgenerationpaper.info

read our latest publication ...
A preview of a the climate domesday book

Climate Domesday Book

A real-life implementation of the hybrid Magic Bookmark system was used for this speculative design project. The Climate Domesday Book explores topics around the climate emergency and is utilising the interactivity of the Magic Bookmark to allow readers to access relevant curated digital content. The book was exhibited publicly in Australia and a copy will be available in University of Surrey.

visit the project website ...

Customisable solutions

We have managed to transfer our expertise on physical interfaces and hybrid electronics to various use cases and customised projects. The latest one we are working on, is a large scale book, being designed for an interactive exhibition. The augmented book will use the Magic Bookmark to present ideas about our climate, energy, and planetary future in an interactive way.
Get in touch if you want to find out more or discuss possible collaborations.

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The Next Generation Paper a-book prototype. The control electronics are shown as picture in picture.

Next Generation Paper Demonstrator

A preview of the a-book, created for the Next Generation Paper project. This video was presented at Display Week 2020.

Magic Bookmark Demonstrator

A demonstrator of an early stage Magic Bookmark. This video was submitted as a video figure for an interactivity demo at CHI 2021.

Conferences

In the press

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