ACTO

We introduce a customizable, reusable actuated tangible user interface object: ACTO. Its modular design allows quick adaptations for different scenarios and setups on tabletops, making otherwise integral parts like the actuation mechanism or the physical configuration interchangeable. Drawing on the resources of well-established maker communities makes prototyping especially quick and easy. This allows the exploration of new concepts without theneed to redesign the whole system, which qualifies it as an ideal research and education platform for tangible user interfaces. We present a detailed description of the hardware and software architecture of our system. Several implemented example configurations and application scenarios demonstrate the capabilities of the platform.