MagDesk: Interactive Tabletop Workspace Based on Passive Magnetic Tracking

Abstract

MagDesk transforms an ordinary desk into a rich interactive workspace by embedding passive magnets into everyday tabletop objects. An array of magnetometers beneath the desk surface continuously tracks the 3D pose of each object in real time — with no cameras, no active tags, and no line-of-sight requirement.

This enables a new class of tangible interactions: placing a cup to pause music, rotating a puck to adjust volume, or arranging objects as spatial shortcuts. MagDesk won the Distinguished Paper Award at UbiComp 2025, recognizing its contribution to passive, infrastructure-light sensing for human–computer interaction.

Key Features

• Passive magnet tags — no battery, no electronics on the object.
• Real-time 3D tracking of multiple objects simultaneously.
• Works through solid desk surfaces; robust to lighting changes.
• Enables tangible, eyes-free interaction with everyday objects.

BibTeX

@article{huang2025magdesk,
  title     = {MagDesk: Interactive Tabletop Workspace Based on Passive Magnetic Tracking},
  author    = {Huang, Kunpeng and Iravantchi, Yasha and Chen, Dongyao and Sample, Alanson},
  journal   = {Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT)},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {ACM}
}