Daniel Leithinger & Adam Kumpf

Relief is an actuated tabletop display, which is able to render and animate three-dimensional shapes with a malleable surface. It allows users to experience and shape digital models like geographical terrain in an intuitive manner. Therefore, Relief can provide a better understanding of our environmental impact by rendering time-lapse models of erosion and the effects of climate change. The tabletop surface is actuated by an array of motorized pins, which are controlled with a platform built upon open-source hardware and software tools. Each pin can be addressed individually and senses user input like pulling and pushing. The hardware configuration can be easily extended and utilized for form factors different from a tabletop display. Future versions could include expressive digital sculpting tools and music controllers.