understanding simtable

A model everyone can stand around.

A SimTable is a tangible computing surface: a projector paints a live wildfire or flood simulation onto real terrain — sand, a table, any surface — and a room full of people reason about it together, at the speed of touch.

Scan to join the table.

Point your phone's camera at the code. You'll join the shared supercomputing session — your device becomes one of the many hands on the model.

Or tap to join ▸

apps.simtable.com/AnyHazard/?a=supercomputing

Why a table, and not a screen

Agent-based models normally live on one person's laptop, and whoever holds the laptop holds the argument. Put the same model on a surface and the shape of the conversation changes: everyone can see it, point at it, and disagree with it. That's the whole thesis — bring all the stakeholders to the table.

Since 200960+ projected interactive tables shipped to firefighters and emergency managers. It changed how crews train.

The room is the computerProjector = display. Camera + structured light = senses. The browser = the runtime. A URL = distribution.

Your phone joins itNo install. Scan the code and your device is part of the instrument — the same idea as the laser lab, at room scale.

The model is the pointThe same kind of agent-based model you write in NetLogo this week — running on a table, with people around it.

↑ this is where the week lands: your phone → the room → the model everyone shares.

Where this sits in the week

Your phone is a device you host → the laser lab (one device, one algorithm, built from a prompt) → the SimTable (many devices, one shared model). Same ladder, bigger room.