Learning from 3D Puzzles to Inform Future Interactions with Deformable Mobile Interfaces

Abstract

Nowadays, an increasing number of people use ensembles of differently sized mobile devices to accomplish different tasks. With advantages in display and input technologies, such as flexible and deformable OLED and E-ink displays, we can close the gap between different form factors and offer devices that can be deformed and transformed for different purposes. In this paper, we explore 3D puzzles in terms of interaction and engineering principles to inform future deformable mobile interfaces. 3D puzzles offer unique transformations between 2D and 3D shapes. These puzzles are designed to stimulate exploration of many shapes and the transformations between them. We think that our exploration can help to inform future directions for deformable mobile interfaces.