TASTI: Tasting and Socializing Tabletop Interface

Tabletop displays are a growing area of research for studying social interactions. In this paper, we present TASTI (Tasting and Socializing Tabletop Interface), a novel interaction technique for enhancing tasting events, such as a wine-tasting. Users interact with TASTI’s digital display by manipulating physical objects (such as wine bottles) placed on the table. Each bottle’s position is tracked relative to the screen, so that a coloured rating can be displayed for each beverage besides its location. User can enter in new ratings for the beverages using the bottles themselves as input dials. We designed and built a prototype version of TASTI and ran a small user study in a tea-tasting situation to test its ability to enhance social interaction and create an enjoyable experience. TASTI was found to be more fun and engaging to use than a nondigital table with pen and paper ratings, though lacking somewhat in ease and simplicity of use. We feel that this proves the positive nature of the idea, with technical usability issues being the main hurdle to success.