Virtualized Tangible Programming

Abstract

Systems and methods for virtualized tangible programing are described. In an example implementation, a method includes detecting an object in image data, performing a comparison between the object and a predefined set of object definitions, recognizing the object as a visually quantified object or a visually unquantified object based on the comparison, processing a command region and a quantifier region for the visually quantified object and identifying a corresponding command, and executing a set of commands for the object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A physical interface object for constructing a computer program in a physical space comprising:
 a housing including a top surface, a lower side surface, an upper side surface, a left side surface, a right side surface, and a bottom surface;   the top surface including one or more visual aspects;   one or more of the lower side surface, the upper side surface, the left side surface, and the right side surface including one or more magnetic fasteners configured to couple to a corresponding side surface of a compatible physical interface object;   lower side surface, the upper side surface, the left side surface, and the right side surface including an alignment mechanism for coupling to a compatible alignment mechanism of a compatible physical interface object.   
     
     
         2 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pressable button situated on the top surface, wherein the pressable button may be interacted with to transition the pressable button between states when the pressable button is depressed.   
     
     
         3 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , wherein the visual aspects are configured to alter their appearance in response to a pressable button being depressed. 
     
     
         4 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , wherein the compatible physical interface object includes a second top surface including one or more second visual aspects. 
     
     
         5 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a dial coupled to the top surface, the dial including one or more visual directional indicator aspects.   
     
     
         6 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , wherein the dial is a rotatable dial that can be rotated horizontally to the position of the top surface. 
     
     
         7 . The physical interface object of  claim 1 , wherein the physical interface object includes a command region and the compatible physical interface object includes a quantifier region such that when the physical interface object is coupled with the compatible physical interface object a visually quantified object is formed. 
     
     
         8 . A method of detecting a physical interface object for constructing a computer program in a physical space comprising:
 receiving, from a video capture device, a video stream that includes a physical activity scene of a physical activity surface and a physical interface object placed on the physical activity surface and physically interactable with by a user, the physical interface object including a top surface with a visual aspect and a magnetic fastener configured to couple to a compatible physical interface object;   processing, using one or more computing devices, the video stream to detect the visual aspect of the top surface of the physical interface object included in the physical activity scene;   recognizing, using the one or more computing devices, the visual aspect of the top surface of the physical interface object as a command region;   generating, using the one or more computing devices, a set of commands based on the command region; and   executing, using the one or more computing devices, the set of commands, the set of commands causing a virtual scene to present virtual information on a display of the computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the compatible physical interface object is magnetically coupled to the physical interface object and the visual aspect of the physical interface object is a first visual aspect, the method further comprising:
 processing, using the one or more computing devices, the video stream to detect a second visual aspect on a top surface of the compatible physical interface object;   recognizing, using the one or more computing devices, the second visual aspect of the top surface of the compatible physical interface object as a quantifier region;   updating, using the one or more computing devices, the set of commands to include a quantifier command corresponding to the quantifier region; and   executing, using the one or more computing devices, the updated set of commands.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the quantifier region is a quantity value that is recognizable by the computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the physical interface object further includes a dial coupled to the top surface, the dial including a visually directional indicator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 processing, using the one or more computing devices, the video stream to detect the dial coupled to the top surface of the physical interface object;   recognizing, using the one or more computing devices, the visually directional indicator of the dial;   updating, using the one or more computing devices, the set of commands to include a command represented by the directional indicator; and   executing, using the one or more computing devices, the updated set of commands.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the dial is a rotatable dial that can be rotated horizontally to the position of the top surface and the visually directional indicator is based on the position of the rotatable dial. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the physical interface object includes an alignment mechanism for coupling to a compatible alignment mechanism of the compatible physical interface object. 
     
     
         15 . A visual tangible programming system comprising:
 a video capture device coupled for communication to a computing device, the video capture device being adapted to capture a video stream that includes a physical activity scene of a physical activity surface adjacent to the computing device;   a detector, coupled to the computing device, the detector being adapted to detect within the video stream a physical interface object placed on the physical activity surface and physically interactable with by a user, the physical interface object including a top surface with a visual aspect and a magnetic fastener configured to couple to a compatible physical interface object;   a processor of the computing device, the processor being adapted to recognizing the visual aspect of the top surface of the physical interface object as a command region and generate a set of commands corresponding to the visual aspect; and   a display coupled to the computing device, the display being adapted to display an interface that includes a virtual scene and update the virtual scene based on the set of commands.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the compatible physical interface object is magnetically coupled to the physical interface object and the visual aspect of the physical interface object is a first visual aspect, the system further comprising:
 wherein the detector is adapted to detect within the video stream a second visual aspect on a top surface of the compatible physical interface object; and   wherein the processor is adapted to recognize the second visual aspect of the top surface of the compatible physical interface object as a quantifier region and update the set of commands to include a quantifier command corresponding to the quantifier region.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the physical interface object further includes a dial coupled to the top surface, the dial including a visually directional indicator. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the detector is further adapted to detect within the video stream the dial coupled to the top surface of the physical interface object and the processor is further adapted to recognize the visually directional indicator of the dial and update the set of commands to include a command represented by the directional indicator. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the dial is a rotatable dial that can be rotated horizontally to the position of the top surface and the visually directional indicator is based on the position of the rotatable dial. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the physical interface object includes an alignment mechanism for coupling to a compatible alignment mechanism of the compatible physical interface object.