Siftables - Changing the Learning of Brain

What if computers were more like a child’s wooden blocks? Siftables are a new approach to computing developed by David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanthi. Each small square electronic tile has a small screen, motion sensors, and RF signals. The siftables interact with each other, letting you use orientation, proximity, and movement to control their performance. Developed over the last few years, Merrill demonstrated siftables at TED 2009, showing how they could bring kinetic learning and physical intuition to the human-computer interface. Earlier this year Merrill and Kalanthi launched a new company, Sifteo, to bring siftables to the market. Could these blocks represent the next paradigm in the way humans use computers? Check out videos of them in action, and some new press, after the break.

When we last discussed siftables (more than a year ago) it was in the context of many different competing human-computer interfaces (HCIs). Unsurprisingly, that race is still ongoing and each project bears much in common with its competitors. Most of these systems are tactile, most let you pick up and move 3D objects, and all of them try to make interacting with a computer more intuitive. There’s no way for me to forecast whether or not siftables will ultimately be successful in the market, but there are some things that I really like about them, and that set them apart from other HCIs. First, there’s the “neat” factor.

No special sensing surface or cameras are needed

Siftables can sense their neighbors, allowing applications to utilize topological arrangement

Imagine overturning a container of nuts and bolts, then looking through the resulting pile for a particular item. Or spreading photographs out on a tabletop and then beginning to sort them into piles. During these activities we interact with large numbers of small objects at the same time, and they utilize all of our fingers and both hands together. We humans are skilled at using our hands in these ways, and can effortlessly sift and sort - focusing on our higher level goals rather than the items themselves.