The Responsive Layer: Steps Towards a Digital Augmentation System to Make Everyday Objects Responsive

Everyday objects are an integral part of our lives and are the daily physical interface between us and the world. The traditional way to make objects respond to human actions through digital technologies is through built-in hardware and software, combined with screen-based user interfaces. This thesis proposes an interactive system named Responsive Layer that enables users to add a layer of digital information on top of everyday objects through projection without the need for additional embedded sensors and interactive devices. The system combines projection mapping and computer vision technology to perceive the interaction between users and physical objects and responds with images and text. The thesis introduces an easy-to-operate system for designers and end-users to interact with everyday physical objects and spaces. The thesis first outlines the motivation and research goals. It then studies the background and related work to position the thesis. Next, it discusses the design and implementation details of the system, and prototypes used to test and improve the system. The development and observation of the five prototypes prove the feasibility, scalability and broad application prospects of the system. The first three prototypes simulated the interaction between a user and a folder, and tested the system's perception of users and objects, the recording and display of context information, and its playability. The fourth prototype showed how to design the reminder function of a cup. The last prototype demonstrated the feasibility of the system to track user movements in an architectural space.