Informing Architecture and Urban Modeling with Real-world Data on 3D Tangible Interfaces and Augmented Displays

The proliferation of online and digital data in our world yields unprecedented opportunities for connecting physical and digital parametric models with live data input and feedback. Tangible interfaces and augmented displays provide theatrical settings for designers to visualize real-world data and experience realtime feedback while manipulating physical and digital models on the table. This paper proposes a new approach to design workflow, where physical model and virtual model can be interconnected and informed in realtime by multiple analytical datasets and live data streams. Using 3D scanning, blob detection, and multi-touch techniques, multidimensional tangible interfaces and augmented displays presented in this paper demonstrate a powerful new approach for designing and interacting with physical models, materials, and environmental data.