This document discusses opportunities and challenges for data physicalization. It begins by defining data physicalization as physical artifacts whose geometry or properties encode data to support cognition, communication, learning, and decision making. It explores why physicalizing data can engage people by representing data in a familiar, tangible way. Challenges discussed include how to design physical variables, limitations of current 3D printing and shape-changing technologies, and how to support interactivity and animation. The document concludes by calling for connecting communities around data physicalization and establishing resources like an online wiki.
Opportunities and Challenges for Data Physicalization
1. Opportunities and Challenges
for Data Physicalization
Yvonne Jansen, Pierre Dragicevic, Petra Isenberg, Jason Alexander,
Abhijit Karnik, Johan Kildal, Sriram Subramanian, Kasper Hornbæk
2. Data Physicalization
… a physical artifact whose geometry or material properties encode data.
… a research area that examines how computer-supported, physical
representations of data (i.e., data physicalizations), can support cognition,
communication, learning, problem solving, and decision making.
11. "Physical props reach the
mind of a large part of the
public because that's how you
represent data in daily life at
the kitchen table, at the cafe
and in the bar."
photobyMartinKjellberg,2013
12. Of all the people in the world (Stan’s Cafe, 2006)
Population Density (Plan B Architecture & Urbanism, 2013)
see dataphys.org/list!
for many more examples
CPI / Cost of Living
(Loren Madsen, 1995)
Data Sculptures
13. Engaging People With Data
Data-Things (Nissen and Bowers, CHI’15)
TastyBeats (Khot et al., CHI’15)
Tension Road Project
(Taylor et al., CHI’15)
28. Why physicalize?
To Think Through Manipulation
To Engage People With Data
To Intrinsically Support Active Perception
more in the paper:
To Address Multiple Senses
To Promote Accessibility
…
34. Designing physical data representations
How to render physical variables?
3D Printing:
Full color
35. Designing physical data representations
How to render physical variables?
3D Printing:
Different choices of material
36. Designing physical data representations
How to render physical variables?
3D Printing:
Flexible materials
37. Designing physical data representations
How to render physical variables?
3D Printing:
Multi-Material
38. Designing physical data representations
Limitations of current technology
• Limited number of materials
• Cumbersome and slow process
• How to render taste, smell, etc?
39. Designing physical data representations
Limitations of current technology
• Free-floating
objects
Zero-N
(Lee et al, 2011)
Acoustic levitation
(Seah et al, 2014)
44. Limitations of physical interaction
Supporting animation and interactivity
• Limited functionality
• Can be slow and cumbersome
• Potentially repetitive
48. Physical Charts, MSR, 2014 The HIVE Big Data Think Tank, Palo Alto, 2013
Supporting animation and interactivity
Self-actuated physicalizations
49. inForm (Follmer, Leithinger et al, 2013) BMW kinetic sculpture (Art+Com, 2008)
Supporting animation and interactivity
Shape displays
50. Shape-change design space (Rasmussen et al, 2012)
Supporting animation and interactivity
Shape displays
Shape displays
51. Limitations of current shape displays
Supporting animation and interactivity
• Limited resolution
• Limited possible forms
• Limited availability
• No actuation of color, texture, taste, etc.
Programmable matter (2060?)
52. Hybrid physical / virtual displays
Supporting animation and interactivity
Emoto, Stefaner et al., 2012
Current Work-Arounds:
53. Hybrid physical / virtual displays
Supporting animation and interactivity
Emoto, Stefaner et al., 2012
Current Work-Arounds: