This book is an attempt to bring together current research in the domain of interactive horizontal displays. The book integrates and summarises findings from the most important international tabletop research teams. It provides a state-of-the-art overview and allows for the discussion of emerging and future directions in research and technology of interactive horizontal displays.

In the early 1990s Mark Weiser’s vision of Ubiquitous Computing redefined the notion of Human Computer Interaction. Interaction was not anymore considered to happen only with desktop computers but also with other elements of the environment. This is documented for tabletop research by the early works of PierreWellner and Hiroshi Ishii and who envisioned the interaction and collaboration in tabletop settings with their seminal research prototypes DigitalDesk and ClearBoard. In the following years, research led to the development more prototypes such as the Active Desk, Augmented Surface and the Roomware component InteracTable. Recent developments of various technologies such as affordable large display panels, reliable multi-touch detection and software toolkits open up new possibilities and refuel the interest in Human Computer Interaction on horizontal interactive displays. At the same time researchers aim for a better understanding of social aspects of interaction and group work practice around tabletops in order to successfully deploy tabletops in work, education and entertainment environments.

Today we may witness the beginning of the last phase of a long process from the concept of interactive tabletops and lab prototypes to a sustainable business. Looking back to nearly 20 years of research, commercially available tabletop systems are on the brink of becoming part of our everyday interaction and collaboration environments. Tabletop systems appear in semi-public spaces, the hospitality business and the domestic environment but also in office environments for which tabletop were initially envisioned. However, the relevance of the research in this book remains independent of the domain of deployment of future tabletops as horizontal interactive displays.