The Linear Navigator system interactively positions virtual information in physical space utilizing an LED LCD display that travels along a horizontal trajectory that is typically 8 to 12 meters long. This screen can move in either direction along its rails, and a digital encoder relays its exact position to the software application. The viewer’s control of its movements can either be done manually using a handle, or it can be motorized and operated using a lever, touchscreen or Bluetooth device. The Linear Navigator also incorporate speakers for soundtracks and audio information.

Linear Navigator applications typically involve the display of a scenery or array of images along its entire length, with the viewer moving to specific positions along this trajectory to access additional layers of pictorial/video data, that may also be augmented by textual and spoken information. The organization of this trajectory can for instance be a timeline allowing movement between temporal contexts, or it can be spatially defined allowing movement between geographic and physical locations, or it can present an organized database of media assets.