JOELHO 2014

Interactive Stereoscopic Visualization of Alberti Architectural Models

The technological advances that we have been witnessing in the last few years allowed the development of new and more interactive applications for all kinds of scenarios. A clear example are multitouch devices and depth sensors like Microsoft Kinect, which allows non-intrusive and inexpensive tracking of the user’s body. In the visualization area, the vulgarization of 3D displays allows users to perceive imagery as it was getting out of the screen, providing a depth illusion. This technological advances motivate a fresh look at tabletop interfaces and to revisit on-and-above surface interaction techniques, in order to better support 3D direct manipulation and to aspire scenarios until now exclusive of science fiction.

Recently, innovative methods to use the space above the surface, in order to provide more natural ways of interacting with 2D tabletop content, have been proposed (Hilliges et al., 2010). Wilson et al. (2010) created metaphors to interact with different displays while capturing full body postures. Thus, users can interact on or above the surface with 2D content, or even between surfaces, using the body to transfer virtual content from one surface to the hand or to another surface, while moving their bodies in space.

Following the work of Hornecker (2008), who studied the effect of a multi-touch table in a museum of natural history, we exploited the aforementioned technological solutions to enhance the visitors experience in a museum exhibition. This exhibition was set out to present the architectural heritage left by the Renaissance artist, architect and author Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472). The author, in his De re aedificatoria treatise, defined a strict shape grammar, without providing any images illustrating the architectural rules presented. Albeit difficult to interpret, this document greatly influenced several buildings spread across the world.

We developed a tabletop prototype that allows users to explore 3D virtual models of existing buildings in stereoscopy, as they were physical models lying above the tabletop. We also introduced the possibility to customize an entire model of a temple following the strict Alberti shape grammar.

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Mendes, D., Araújo, B., & Jorge, J. (2014). Interactive Stereoscopic Visualization of Alberti Architectural Models. Joelho, (5), 52–56.

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