Beam-Its - Virtual Sticky Notes in the Real World

We present the concept, design, and implementation of Beam-Its, a virtual version of sticky notes, which can be placed in the physical environment. Beam-Its are created on a PDA and placed on objects or surfaces in the environment, where they are currently displayed by a steerable projector. Beam-Its can contain handwritten text and sketches, just as physical Post-Its, but also photos and sound recordings made on the PDA, thus extending the functionality of physical Post-Its R. They can also appear or disappear depending on context, which enables additional usage scenarios.