Chronotape by Peter Bennett – Tangible timeline for family history

Inspired by reel-to-reel tape machines, microfilm, cine-film projectors and arcade games, Chronotape is a tangible timeline for family history research designed by Peter Bennett and developed as part of the PATINA project, within the Bristol Interaction & Graphics group.

The device includes a number of different functions: ADD PERSON: place a person icon on the tape to mark an event (birth, death, marriage etc), WRITE NOTE: write directly onto the chronotape using pen/pencil, TYPE NOTE: type a note onto the tape, and PHOTO: snap a photo note of the your research materials or old photos.

The chronotape was designed as an example of a Tangible User Interface, allowing you to interact with computer data using real physical objects. The chronotape explores the concept of using a tangible interface to control time, effectively turning the abstract concept of time into something you can hold and control.

This project is a continuation of Peter Bennett‘s PhD thesis on ”The Representation and Control of Time in Tangible User Interfaces”.

Peter Bennett | PATINA | Bristol Interaction & Graphics