BumpTop 3D Desktop prototype

BumpTop is a project that applies physics simulation to the desktop in order to resemble the real-world effects of a true desktop. Not a true computer desktop, but the top of your desk, literally. Since a workplace in the physical world generally has stacks and piles of papers and documents, BumpTop reflects that by using piling instead of filing. The piles are generally stacked chronologically since the files you most recently added go on top. However, they’ve cleverly incorporated many tricks to add files in the middle and bottom of a pile. Also, they’ve enabled ways to build “shelves” on the sides of the desktop container. You can literally throw files on a stack or over in a corner for later use. The entire desktop incorporates characteristics like mass and friction, and when thrown into another pile, the other files are displaced as expected. To show significance, you can make files bigger to stand out in the mess. What’s cool about that is they actually act like they’re bigger—bigger objects are heavier and more sluggish to move. The entire interface is “pen-centric” as they tend to call it, which gives a better feeling of realism since the file under the pen tip is the active file. You can draw loops to select files, use commands to step into different modes, open menus, etc. It’s a really, really cool innovation. Personally, it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. You should check it out:

• YouTube BumpTop 3D Video
• Quick overview
• Master’s Thesis
• BumpTop project site