Wetpaint: scraping through multi-layered images

We introduce a technique for exploring multi-layered images by scraping arbitrary areas to determine meaningful relationships. Our system, called Wetpaint, uses perceptual depth cues to help users intuitively navigate between corresponding layers of an image, allowing a rapid assessment of changes and relationships between different views of the same area. Inspired by art diagnostic techniques, this tactile method could have distinct advantages in the general domain as shown by our user study. We propose that the physical metaphor of scraping facilitates the process of determining correlations between layers of an image because it compresses the process of planning, comparison and annotation into a single gesture. We discuss applications for geography, design, and medicine. Author Keywords Touch Interface, Large Screen, Restoration, Visualization, Tangible User Interface. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Hiroshi Ishii, Jürgen P. Schulze, Leonardo Bonanni, Matthew Hockenberry, Maurizio Seracini, Praveen Subramani, Xiao Xiao
• Keywords: ACM Classification Keywords, CHI 2009, Human Computer Interaction, Keywords Touch Interface, Tangible User Interface