PocoPoco: A Tangible Device That Allows Users To Play Dynamic Tactile Interaction

PocoPoco was created by a research team that focuses on interfaces that can change their own shapes dynamically. It is a box-shaped device that uses built-in solenoid actuators to control the movement of cylindrical units and deliver dynamic tactile sensations.

With its simple, intuitive tactile interface, PocoPoco can be used in a variety of applications that would normally employ a more "functional" device, such as a keyboard, that allows users to engage in a virtual world without being conscious of their physical manipulation and sensory input/output experience.

A musical variation of the system, PocoSeqencer, allows users to easily create aural and visual components of a performance at the same time by simply pushing cylindrical actuators.

Takaharu Kanai
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Yuya Kikukawa
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tatsuhiko Suzuki
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tetsuaki Baba
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Kumiko Kushiyama
Tokyo Metropolitan University