Rarely are the phrases “get your hands dirty” and “new technology” used in the same sentence but that’s what DIRTI for iPad aims to do as the self-billed world’s first tapioca interface. French company UserStudio designed the interface to change the relationship between humans and tangible controllers.

DIRTI is a physical interface for iOS that uses any moldable semi-transparent material from tapioca pearls, ice cream, water, plastic granules, etc, to control content on the iOS. While originally developed for adults, UserStudio quickly realized the possible applications the product would have for children, moving them from tapping the screen to physically interacting with the material, essentially acting as a sort of high tech sandbox.

To create this interactive platform, the selected interaction material is placed in a sand-blasted glass dish. A webcam plugged into Raspberry Pi, a credit-card sized single board computer, is positioned directly beneath the dish. The camera tracks the movement and density in the interaction material and transmit the information to the iPad where it is then displayed. While not 100% accurate, users can create sounds and patterns based on their interaction with the material. DIRTI certainly turns traditional iOS interaction on it’s head.