Gaussrfid: Reinventing Physical Toys Using Magnetic Rfid Development Kits

We present GaussRFID, a hybrid RFID and magnetic-field tag sensing system that supports interactivity when embedded in retrofitted or new physical objects. The system consists of two major components - GaussTag, a magnetic-RFID tag that is combined with a magnetic unit and an RFID tag, and GaussStage, which is a tag reader that is combined with an analog Hall-sensor grid and an RFID reader. A GaussStage recognizes the ID, 3D position, and partial 3D orientation of a GaussTag near the sensing platform, and provides simple interfaces for involving physical constraints, displays and actuators in tangible interaction designs. The results of a two-day toy-hacking workshop reveal that all six groups of 31 participants successfully modified physical toys to interact with computers using the GaussRFID system.