Combining gestures and graphical elements for collaboration using multi-touch surfaces

We propose a set of gestures and graphical elements as a means to introduce and manipulate ideas represented by images, text, and freehand drawings around a horizontal multi-touch surface in the context of collaborative processes. A fan-like menu that can be obtained from any point on the interactive surface is one of the key proposed graphical elements. We also propose a knowledge management system for this scenario, which allows for the organization of ideas into hierarchical conceptual structures. We present two innovative solutions to challenging issues related with the undo/redo stack and the clipboard mechanism for interactive surfaces.