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Active Book

1 Overview

The Active Book is a paper book with hyper links to such as sound files.

A user can listen voice of characters on a picture book by using the FieldMouse device.

That is;

1. read a bar-code sticker on a corner of the page
2. move the device to one of the characters on the page

As the current prototype uses HTML's click-able map file format, we can utilize common HTML editors to creates contents.

Future application of this mechanism could be;

1. deliver the data through WWW
   (the Active Book could be a click-able hardcopy of a WWW page)
2. publish bar-code printed books
3. deliver bar-code stickers and software to modify existing books
4. prepare white paged books with bar-codes, for creative education

2 Other Applications

1. apply to a TV program guide book, to control VCR or TV through IR controller port
2. apply to an atlas, to input destination place in some navigation systems
3. apply to a menu book of VCR or Karaoke playback systems to select contents

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Demo at ISMR99

The Active Book has been demonstrated at ISMR99 (The First International Symposium on Mixed Reality).

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FieldMouse (overview)

FieldMouse is a simple device with a combination of a mechanical pen-mouse and a bar-code reader. This device detects the position on a surface such as paper, desks, and walls. First, a user scans a bar-code sticker on a surface, on which bar-code is printed. Second, as a user moves the pen-mouse on the surface, starting from the sticker, 2D position on the surface is detected unless the device is touching to the surface.

By using the FieldMouse, we can make any flat surface to a "tablet" which can be used as a 2D input device. This simple and cheap device can be used to access hyper links on books, paper, walls in the "augmented reality" environment.