Project Zanzibar
News & features
Putting the “human” in human computer interaction with Haiyan Zhang
Episode 62, February 6, 2019 - Haiyan talks about her unique “brain hack” approach to the human-centered design process, and discusses a wide range of projects, from the connected play experience of Zanzibar, to Fizzyo, which turns laborious breathing exercises…
In the news | Kidscreen
Microsoft brings toys to life in Project Zanzibar‘
Developed by a team of Microsoft researchers, the new user interface features a flexible mat that can locate, sense and communicate with objects–and may just give a much-needed jolt to a struggling toys-to-life market.
Project Zanzibar: Blurring the distinction between the digital and the physical worlds via tangible interaction in a portable implementation
It was a love of toys, a shared appreciation for the intrinsic beauty of physical objects and a recognition of their absence in the daily computer interactions of a world that currently spends most of its time gazing at and…
In the news | The Verge
Microsoft’s smart mat project could blend Lego and Minecraft together
A team of researchers, with a love of toys, created the project at Microsoft’s research labs in the UK. The mat folds and combines sensing, near field communication (NFC), and multi-touch to imagine a future where you could place objects…
In the news | Slashgear
Microsoft’s Project Zanzibar could do for toys what multitouch did for smartphones
Microsoft has detailed Project Zanzibar, a research effort involving the development of a smart mat that takes physical toys and presents them on a display, combining real-world and digital play into a single experience.