Magnetrix

Magnetrix: Interactive Display Leveraging Digital Papers and Wireless Control

Humphrey Yang, NCKU Power Electronics Lab, San Yu, Cheng Luen Hsueh

Role: Installation Design, Hardware Design, Interaction Design, Fabrication, Assembly

This machine was developed for demonstration on the C-Hub Demo Day 2016 (Nov. 23 2016) as a capstone for the joint research effort with E ink. The Magnetrix demonstrates both the induction control system and a vision to create interactive architectures.

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Design Overview

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Transparency

Leveraging its pliability, we wrap E ink films into cylinders to create “polarized“ display pixels. When installed on a wall, users can only see the digital papers at a sharp viewing angle, and the installation is visually transparent when viewed perpendicularly.

Display Pixels

By using two set of coils, each reacting to a distinct frequency, circuit induction circuit can produce inverting potentials on demand and consequently changing the paper color between black and white.

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With our analogous control and power system, we produce a brush-like effect by modulating the current intensity and frequency of the affector coil.

Computer Controlled

The computer loops a predefined set of files to change the displayed pattern.

Computer Aided Interaction

The controller reads the user gesture with a Kinect and translate the motions into cursor movements.

Direct Interaction

A handheld device was developed for users to directly interact with the installation.

We designed three modes of interaction for users to interact with our device.

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Acknowledgments

E ink for supporting the materials and production

NCKU C-Hub