Using Physical Objects As Passwords

Using a stapler to open Photoshop? A Notebook as your email password? A project from the Tangible Interfaces class at MIT gave birth to a weird but potentially useful idea – using physical objects as activators of computer processes. This unusual concept software is called Amphibian, and uses the very specific weight of everyday objects to trigger computer processes. Weighing the objects on a small scale connected to a computer will match the weight with the digital process, and make it happen.

From the Tangible Interfaces web site:

Amphibian allows users to easily imprint digital functions onto common everyday physical objects. Amphibian is a low cost, low infrastructure system that enables users to choose their own physical objects and imprint onto them almost any standard interface functions that take place on a GUI desktop. The goal of Amphibian is to create a system that the common user can implement and operate so that we may learn more about the digital-physical object relationships people will form.

[via Kevin Kelly]