Technologies and Applications of Geocomputational Tangible User Interfaces

Since the early 2000s, there has been rising research interest in using tangible user interfaces (TUIs) in geospatial education, terrain modeling and analysis, landscape design and planning, and collaborative decision making. Many of these systems explicitly model geospatial data and allow users to interact with complex computational workflows by direct manipulation of a shared tangible interface. However, prior research has largely examined these systems within disciplinary silos and with a wide variety of terminology, limiting synthesis and cross-domain applicability. To address this gap, we define a unifying term, geocomputational tangible user interfaces (G-TUIs), and establish a set of criteria for identifying such systems. We then conduct a systematic literature review to examine the types of technologies (interfaces, sensors, software) used and how these systems are applied across different fields. We find G-TUIs are most commonly applied in educational and urban or landscape design contexts, yet empirical evidence evaluating their effectiveness remains limited. We highlight the potential for these systems in participatory approaches to social–environmental challenges and provide four case studies from our own work that demonstrate how geocomputational TUIs can be impactful and purposeful in education, participatory science, and stakeholder collaboration. We conclude by highlighting current research directions, challenges, and future research opportunities.