Supporting Effective Interaction with Tabletop Groupware

This workshop position paper describes our prior and ongoing research on horizontal computing systems, which is focused on understanding how interactive tables can effectively support co-located computer-supported collaborative work. We describe our recent contributions in the areas of multi-user coordination policies for interactive tables, using audio as a means of supplementing a tabletop display with private information, and exploring appropriate graphical layouts for horizontal interfaces. We also discuss our ongoing work in developing cooperative tabletop gestures and evaluating the potential of tabletop computing for educational activities.