iEat: An interactive restaurant table

User interaction is supported through moving or placing plates on the table, as well as through infrared lightpens, which are stylus-shaped, LED-based, infrared light (IR) emitters.

Selecting dishes and ordering

• Customers can explore the restaurant menu: dish thumbnails of the selected menu category are displayed around the empty dish which is nearest to the customer. When the customer selects a menu item, it is projected in the dish.
• The option for ordering the plate is also readily available.
• The order list summarizes all the dishes that have been added by the two diners, providing facilities for removing a dish from the list, view more details for a particular dish, order a specific dish and order all the dishes in the list.

Playing

• The iEat table features interactive games played using the empty plates and the lightpens.
• In the current prototype, a breakout type game has been developed.

Decorating and Communicating

• The iEat table supports facilities for decorating the table surface, through a library of alternative virtual backgrounds (tablecloths), as well as highly customizable drawing toolset.
• Users are able to post their drawings to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Target Domains

iEat addresses the food and beverage domain, providing a unique experience to restaurant, cafeteria, and bar customers.