Supporting face-to-face communications through interactive toys space

This paper describes the design and implementation of a low-cost vision-based system called interactive toys environment that turns small toys-like objects into interactive tools acting as interfaces between the computer and its users (i.e. Human-Computer Interaction) and between users themselves (i.e. Human-Human Interaction). Group members collaboratively work or play by grasping and moving multiple physical objects (i.e. toys) on a noncumbersome background (e.g. traditional tabletop). The ability to track and recognize these physical objects in a video stream opens up new applications that range from unsupervised learning, training, simulating cities and museums to storytelling and board games. Our approach offers visually impaired people, children or senior citizens the ability to inter the world of information technology by moving toys-like physical objects (or using bare hands or feet) in an entire interactive medium. Therefore presents a framework for vision-toys technology. An overview of the system and its main components together with experimental results, example applications and directions for future work will be discussed.