mude - a multidimensional deformable input interface

 

The concept

mude is a deformable input interface that can be used for controlling interactive media in various applications, including gaming, sound design, and video editing. The acronym MUDE stands for “MUlti-DEformation“, in which the interface can be deformed by users for input in multiple ways simultaneously, for instance by stretching, bending, crumpling, twisting, and more.

the mude interface is an interactive input interface that belongs to the category of deformable user interfaces, which I have formally categorized and reviewed in 2019 with my colleague Alberto boem (see deformableui.com). Compared to rigid controllers, mude allows for more expressive controls and engages users in novel interactive possibilities, which are impossible to achieve with interfaces that are made of rigid materials.

 
 

Technical Details

The present version of MUDE features a soft silicone casing that has roughly the form factor of an iPhone 6 (i.e., 1cm x 8cm x 12cm). The silicone casing is embedded with three electro-active polymers (EAP) sensors placed at different heights inside its surface. The sensors are currently capable of sensing three distinct types of deformation when input is given, namely bend, press, and stretch.

the sensing of these three different deformations is calculated based on the combined capacitance signal (pf) of the three eap layers embedded in the silicone casing. the two outer layers are used as reference points, where the high and low stretch signals are produced, to calculate whether MUDE is being bent upwards or downwards (see picture below). through the use of support vector machines (SVM), the interface can be programmed to sense even more deformations, including the various levels of pressure, twisting motions, as well as multitouch input.

 
 

THE interface mude WAS CREATED with the help of leap.