StorySurfer is a physical and visual approach for children to browse books in the children's library. The prototype is a further development of the cubeSearch concept and is developed within the children's interactive library project. By combining architecture and computer science storySurfer tries to have bigger physical impact on the library instead of being hidden as pure software in a grey computer box.

Different modes of interaction are studied through the combination of floor and table - body and hand by adapting the interaction styles and interfaces to the different scales of interaction.

StorySurfer is a prototype that facilitates children in browsing a library collection of books by displaying projected covers on an interactive floor surface. The covers of the books are evoked by stepping on buttons on the rim of the floor. Each button is associated with keyword. Hitting a keyword button will evoke a cloud-like shape on the floor containing materials associated to the word. Where clouds overlap books containing up to three keywords appear. Stepping on to the floor enables one to examine the displayed covers. Each person entering is tracked and provided with a cursor in the shape of a "magnifying lens"; the "lens" is controlled by your bodily movements. Holding the lens still over a projected book cover causes it to enlarge for better inspection and maintaining the position even a bit longer will invoke a "duoble click" and the cause the book cover to move across the floor to the interactive table top. On the table the MLT-system enables multi-user interaction on the table surface where noumerous books can be inspected about content, author, related books and the possiblity to print the cover and directions to where to find the physical book.

See images from the development, concept, setup and use through the links to the left.

See a video of the system in use here (28mb)

Read a paper on storySurfer here