Seamfully connected: Real working models as tangible interfaces for architectural design

Abstract

This paper describes work conducted as part of an interdisciplinary research project into new approaches to using computer technology in the early phases of the architectural design process. The aim is to reduce the existing discrepancy between familiar, analogue ways of working in the early design stages and the increasingly widespread use of digital tools in office practice. Taking this as its starting point, a prototype for a design platform was developed. The core of the project is a direct, real-time connection between real volumetric models, an interactive 3D sketching-tool and interactive digital content that supports the design process. The conceptual and technical core of this connection is an integrated object recognition system. In this paper we describe the need for an integrated solution, the underlying conceptual idea and the recognition methods implemented including their respective strengths and limitations. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.