Tangible interfaces in virtual environments for industrial design

In the fields of industrial design and car manufacturing the creation of 3D curves plays a fundamental role within the design process: it allows the improvement of the visual appeal of artifacts, it enhances ergonomics and the product’s commercial competitiveness through product differentiation. When flexibility and intuition are to be privileged it is fundamental to achieve natural, intuitive, mathematically correct, creation and modification of surfaces. The scientific aim of this research is the development of an innovative metaphor to modeling of 3D curves which maintains the natural expertise of the designer. The major contribution of this paper is the capability of the system to create and modify the curve naturally, without mathematical artifices, within the limits set by the use of Bezier curves. The proposed metaphor combines the benefits of two acknowledged techniques referred to as the Digital Tape Drawing and the Eraser Pen, which allow the real-time modification of the curve. The integrated adoption of tangible interfaces and innovative mathematical tools, combined with the adoption of semi-immersive environment and lightweight interaction devices, delivers intuitive curve creation for free-form modeling within the virtual scene. The paper describes the details of the algorithm developed and it highlights its strengths during the styling phase.