ReflectoSlates: personal overlays for tabletops combining camera-projector systems and retroreflective materials

Abstract

Tabletop systems are great platforms for collaborative work and social interaction. However, many fail to also accommodate contents visible only to some users, or they do so by reducing the surface visible to the rest of the users. We present ReflectoSlates, which combines a chest mounted camera-projector system connected to the user's mobile device and retroreflective sheets (ReflectoSlates). When placed on the tabletop, ReflectoSlates allow users to see their private contents while other users continue to see the tabletop. They can be lifted and moved while still displaying each user's individual content. Users can also interact with them using mid-air gestures detected by the camera-projector system. This way they do not interfere with other users when their contents are in the tabletop, or they can continue to interact with them, when they lift the ReflectoSlate or walk away from the tabletop.