Recently we blogged about the merging of the physical and digital worlds and how this phenomenon offers some very engaging and potentially stronger ways for exhibitions to use digital media to create more impactful experiences. Under the tag physical and digital, you can check out several blog entries that present some unique approaches to this physical/digital convergence.

This week, we came across a new example of this design approach. Take a look at DIRTI for the iPad, created by Userstudio.

The testing pictured happend at La Maison des Petits. Using translucent material (including ice cream if you watch the second video!) and a simple web cam along with Raspberry Pi, you can create an effect that’s determined by your movements and changes in the material’s density and transparency.

This is a simple but elegant example of how a physical medium can be used to create and direct a physical link to a digital world.

Certainly, the key aspect of this experience is what the physical manipulation of the material actually corresponds to in the digital realm.

That said, this points to yet another example of elevating the impact of information and experience on a digital screen by closely correlating the interface and the medium.

While ice cream or tapioca may make for a creative music and color experience, here water (or maybe slime!) or some other substance might allow for an entirely different experience.

What ingredients would you want to use?