Prior research around the design of interactive systems has highlighted the benefits of supporting embodiment in everyday life. This resulted in the creation of body-centric systems that leverage movement. However, these advances supporting movement in everyday life, aligning with the embodiment theory, so far focused on sensing movement as opposed to facilitating movement. We present PneuMa, a novel wearable system that can facilitate movement in everyday life through pneumatic-based bodily extensions. We showcase the system through three examples: “Pardon?”, moving the ear forward; “Greetings”, moving a hand towards the “Bye-bye” gesture; “Take a break”, moving the hands away from the keyboard, enabling the bodily extensions that support movement in everyday life. From the thematic analysis of a field study with 12 participants, we identified three themes: bodily awareness, Perception of the scenarios, and anticipating movement. We discuss our findings in relation to prior research around bodily extensions and embodied interaction to provide strategies to design bodily extensions that support movement in everyday life. Ultimately, we hope that our work helps more people profit from the benefits of everyday movement support.

Wearable electronics expand the ways learners can create with computing as they gain proficiency with programming and electronics. Dance is one domain where wearables can support creative, embodied practices in computing education. However, wearable electronics need to be small, durable, and easily integrated into clothing to meet the constraints of dance contexts. These features are challenging to achieve, especially when working with novices. We present DanceBits, a wearable prototyping kit for dance that was co-developed with a justice-oriented, computing and dance education organization. DanceBits’ plug-and-play system uses small PCBs with solderless connectors to support dancers in rapidly designing, building, and performing with electronic costumes. Our user studies exploring the system with dance instructors and youth participants show that DanceBits enabled fast development of wearables, offered users a breadth of expressivity through computational and choreographic choices, and empowered dancers to see wearables as a tool for developing their movement practices.

Fashion design has rapidly become a digital process where textiles are simulated as soft, conformable materials on a digital body. The embodied experience and physical interaction with the textile have been replaced by screen-based media, resulting in a gap in understanding between physical and digital textile material. Consequently, understanding digitized textile properties and characteristics has become challenging for practitioners. This research investigates fashion designers’ implicit understanding when selecting textiles, specifically how interactions with physical textiles influence design considerations. Twenty digital fashion designers interacted with ten physical textile materials via tangible and scientific drape measurements, reflecting upon their design considerations. In digital environments, a tangible understanding of material properties is vital, and scientific drape measurements add significant understanding to digital design. The research advances our understanding of integrating digital tools in textile and soft material practices, where a postphenomenological approach is employed to help formulate the design considerations in selecting materials.

Technology-facilitated “superpowers” are a popular topic in human-computer interaction, providing people with the experience of having superhero-like fantastic abilities. However, science fiction literature tells us that superpowers can also be unfortunate. We designed Wi-Fi Twinge, a system that uses electrical muscle stimulation to extend human perception to sense unseen Wi-Fi signals, giving people an allergy-like twinge reaction to Wi-Fi: a superpower that can be seen as unfortunate while also having potential benefits. Through an in-the-wild study, interviews with 12 participants revealed that although the superpower from Wi-Fi Twinge induced negative feelings and impacted certain day-to-day activities, it improved awareness of self and the surrounding environment. We used these results to offer design tactics for creating future superpower systems that consider potential unfortunate side effects. Ultimately, we aim to advance our understanding of technology-facilitated superpowers.

Tangible artifacts and embodied experiences are central to religious and spiritual (R/S) practices, and many HCI researchers and interaction designers highlight the importance of materiality and physicality in design. In this review paper, we bring these perspectives together and examine 44 examples of R/S tangible interactive artifacts (TIAs) from academia, art, industry, and R/S communities to understand their specifics and guide future HCI research and design. We analyze these artifacts and map out a design space for R/S TIAs by matching identified characteristics of R/S TIAs with a framework from the study of material religion. The descriptive and generative R/S TIA Design Space covers insights into bodies, things, places, practices, and backgrounds. This paper offers a novel contribution to HCI research on the value and importance of tangibility and embodiment in technology-mediated practices in R/S contexts and serves as a source for future R/S TIA creation and research.

We describe iterations on the design of a hexagonal token and constraint tangible and cyberphysical interface. Our system has been co-designed both for use in tangible, embedded, embodied interaction and extended reality classroom contexts, and within broader applied generalizations. We survey some of the related literature in hexagonal, rectangular, and triangular tangible interfaces. We express a design space characterizing several aspects of these prior systems; and apply these to a number of additional virtual and physical iterations. We accompany our text with 3D printable, circuit board, and virtual models for a number of these interactors, usable in both tangible and purely virtual forms, including versions engaging four different embedded computing platforms (Raspberry Pi Zero, Raspberry Pi Pico, Adafruit Circuit Playground, and Blinks). We discuss experiences from use of these in classroom settings, and steps toward broader applications.

This paper explores (1) the role of metaphors in physical data representations and (2) the concept of tacit data: implicitly known data which are hard to uncover. In a semester course with twenty-three students, five teams explored how to represent self-chosen ‘tacit data’ in a visualisation, haptification, and dynamic physicalisation. Throughout these phases, our notion of tacit data evolved, resulting in a proposed working definition. Moreover, we noticed that metaphors played an increasingly important role. Based on analysis of students’ work and interviews with them, we found that tacit data and physical data representations need metaphors. For haptifications and physicalisations, metaphors help to circumvent limitations, curate data, and communicate to the audience. As tacit data were seen as ‘soft’ and difficult to quantify, metaphors made the data workable. Furthermore, tacit data benefit from physical representations, which offer further dimensions to represent the feeling and intimate aspects of data.

In this paper, we propose a method for utilizing musical artifacts and physiological data as a means for creating a new form of live music experience that is rooted in the physiology of the performers and audience members. By utilizing physiological data (namely Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)) and applying this data to musical artifacts including a robotic koto (a traditional 13-string Japanese instrument fitted with solenoids and linear actuators), a Eurorack synthesizer, and Max/MSP software, we aim to develop a new form of semi-improvisational and significantly indeterminate performance practice. It has since evolved into a multi-modal methodology which honors improvisational performance practices and utilizes physiological data which offers both performers and audiences an ever-changing and intimate experience.

In our first exploratory phase, we focused on the development of a means for controlling a bespoke robotic koto in conjunction with a Eurorack synthesizer system and Max/MSP software for controlling the incoming data. We integrated a reliance on physiological data to infuse a more directly human elements into this artifact system. This allows a significant portion of the decision-making to be directly controlled by the incoming physiological data in real-time, thereby affording a sense of performativity within this non-living system. Our aim is to continue the development of this method to strike a novel balance between intentionality and impromptu performative results.

This paper contributes a new design research artifact, The Router of All Evil. This is a Research Product that results from and scaffolds a Research Through Design exploration of the domestic Internet. The Router of All Evil is designed to reveal the technical possibility of the humble home router, to define a network of one’s own, where homelife can unfold in creative, fulfilling and private ways, as an alternative to the prevalent corporate and surveillant logics of Silicon Valley’s Internet of Things. Through a methodological contribution described as Designerly Hacking, this paper demonstrates how technical alternatives can first be revealed by hacking or breaking-up a system and then put back together for the use of a broader (designerly) public. To these ends, the Router of All Evil exemplifies Pace Layer design, where rapid design reconfigurations of hardware and software are purposefully afforded.

We present the Loom Pedals, an open-source hardware/software interface for enhancing a weaver’s ability to create on-the-fly, improvised designs in Jacquard weaving. Learning from traditional handweaving and our own weaving experiences, we describe our process of designing, implementing, and using the prototype Loom Pedals system with a TC2 Digital Jacquard loom. The Loom Pedals include a set of modular, reconfigurable foot pedals which can be mapped to parametric Operations that generate and transform digital woven designs. Our novel interface integrates design and loom control, providing a customizable workflow for playful, improvisational Jacquard weaving. We conducted a formative evaluation of the prototype through autobiographical methods and collaboratively developed future Loom Pedals features. We contribute our prototype, design process, and conceptual reflections on weaving as a human-machine dialog between a weaver, the loom, and many other agents.

Innovations in digital fabrication technologies are increasingly enabling artists and designers to create data physicalizations in real time. In this paper, we discuss how we adapted a circular knitting machine to physicalize visitors at a local art gallery during the pandemic recovery year. To evaluate this year-long installation, we conducted design critiques with 15 individuals including those who worked in the building and lived alongside it for a year, as well as subject matter experts. We then iteratively worked with 11 of those individuals to gain insights for re-deploying the visualization for interpretation. Overall, this paper contributes long-term reflections and recommendations for using digital fabrication for real-time data physicalizations.

Authentication (e.g., entering a password) is frequently perceived as an annoying obstacle when interacting with computational devices, but still essential to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. We present Act2Auth, a novel concept for embedding authentication into users’ established routines by sensing tangible interactions at desks. With Act2Auth, users can authenticate by performing (secret) routines, such as putting a cup on their desk, rearranging their keyboard, and touching their mouse. The Act2Auth concept is informed by (1) an object analysis of 107 desk photos from Reddit, (2) an online survey (N = 65) investigating users’ strategies for creating touch-based authentication secrets, and (3) a technical exploration of capacitive touch-sensing at desks. We then (4) implemented a prototype and evaluated the usability as well as the memorability of Act2Auth compared to textual passwords (N = 8). With Act2Auth, we provide fundamental work on how to embed authentication tasks into our daily tangible interactions.

Small group brainstorming has been widely used for learning, business, and marketing, but most of the time, group brainstorming is ineffective. New technologies, especially tangible user interfaces, open new potentials for improving the group brainstorming experience. In this paper, we designed and developed a tangible device named IdeaTree to improve small group brainstorming. IdeaTree encapsulated the famous group brainstorming theory Six Thinking Hats [22] to orchestrate the brainstorming processes. We conducted within-subject user studies with 32 participants and one group moderator. Each group had three users who used traditional paper-pen and IdeaTree to brainstorm. The results showed that small group brainstorming with IdeaTree a) created and orchestrated a productive brainstorming process; b) did not influence participants’ overall talking time but equalized the group conversation; c) significantly increased participants’ sense of immersion and social interaction. Our main contribution is that IdeaTree was a meaningful exploration to make the communicative and collaborative space benefit from the tangible advantages.

Extended Reality (XR) technology offers promising results to support skill training. In the field of surgical education, Virtual Reality (VR) has long been explored, showing the potential to foster improved skill development and learning. However, XR in this domain is still underinvestigated, and there is a lack of design knowledge, design methods, and guidelines to inform how to best design XR experiences for effective surgical training. Here, we focus on suture training and show how participatory embodied design activities with experienced surgeons can help open the design space and arrive at interesting design solutions. We report on a hybrid bodystorming combining physical props with XR headsets with passthrough capabilities, supporting rich embodied explorations, a better understanding and articulation of key steps of suturing, uncovering essential design requirements and features, and arriving at an interesting design concept proposal that can be inspiring for future works in the domain.

Fabrics are seen as the foundation for e-textile interfaces but contribute their own tactile properties to interaction. We examine the role of fabrics in gestural interaction from a novel, textile-focused view. We replicated an eTextile sensor and interface for rolling and pinching gestures on four different fabric swatches and invited 6 participants, including both designers and lay-users, to interact with them. Using a semi-structured interview, we examined their interaction with the materials and how they perceived movement and feedback from the textile sensor and a visual GUI. We analyzed participants’ responses using a joint, reflexive thematic analysis and propose two key considerations for research in e-textile design: 1) Both sensor and fabric contribute their own, inseparable materiality and 2) Wearable sensing must be evaluated with respect to culturally situated bodies and orientation. Expanding on material-oriented design research, we proffer that the evaluation of eTextiles must also be material-led and cannot be decontextualized and must be grounded within a soma-aware and situated context.

The design of thermal experiences, often only associated with hot and cold sensations, encompasses a much wider range of qualities that can evoke emotional and sensory effects on users extending beyond this basic binary nature. Through a phenomenological study of a traditional Finnish sauna, we delve into how individuals perceive and express full-body heat sensations using both verbal and non-verbal methods and infer dimensions and parameters of heat that can inform future thermal experience design. Findings from participants’ expressions lead to formulating experiential dimensions such as the dynamic nature of heat, the aesthetics of discomfort, considerations of texture and heaviness, interoception, and personal memories that expand our understanding what heat as a design material consists of and the various possibilities it may hold. Furthermore, we propose three thermal parameters of motion, timbre, and distribution which can contribute to designing more intricate heat experiences and pave the way for further research in temperature interfaces.

We present FabRobotics, a digital fabrication pipeline that combines traditional 3D printing with mobile robots. By integrating these two technologies, we aim to create new opportunities for 3D printers to fabricate objects quickly and efficiently, and for mobile robots to enhance their adaptability and interactivity. To explore this novel research opportunity, we have developed a proof-of-concept implementation pipeline, allowing users to execute hybrid turn-taking control of a 3D printer and mobile robots to autonomously 3D print objects on/with mobile robots. The system was implemented with commercially available 3D printers (Prusa MINI) and mobile robots (toio), and we share various techniques and knowledge specific to fusing 3D printers and mobile robots (e.g. printing mobile robot docks for stable prints on robots). Based on the proof-of-concept system, we demonstrate various application usages and functionalities, showcasing how 3D printing and mobile robots can mutually advance each other for novel fabrication and interaction. Lastly, we share our further exploration of extended prototypes (e.g. fusing two printers) and discuss future technical challenges and research opportunities.

Tables are focus points for social interactions and support everyday activities, such as learning, crafting, or dining. These physical interactions on and around the table may be augmented with digital information and tools projected onto the tabletop. For interaction with such projected information, touch input suffers from technical and interactional limitations. Pen input is a more robust alternative that does not suffer from Midas-touch problems. We developed a system for tracking the position of an IR-emitting pen tip on a planar surface with sub-millimeter resolution and an end-to-end latency of less than 30 ms. Distinguishing between drawing and hovering states is done by combining a stereoscopic camera setup and a machine-learning classifier. We demonstrate practical performance, uses and limitations through multiple studies and examples.

In this paper, we focus on water droplets and propose a novel method to control the movement of water droplets on surfaces such as paper. Most droplet movement methods based on the principle of electrowetting require a high density of electrodes to complex circuitry, and there are restrictions on the size of the droplet. In contrast, our method involves printing line-shaped electrodes on a paper-like sheet substrate and moving water droplets between these lines. The electrodes need not be densely arranged; they can be spaced several centimeters apart and water droplets can move between them. This not only greatly reduces the number of electrodes and simplifies the circuit, but also allows electrode placement with design and the ability to drive a wide range of water droplet sizes, from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. This paper reports the details of the proposed method and presents several design examples.

Regular microbreaks from work positively contribute to one’s well-being, performance, and recovery, yet integrating them into work routine can be challenging. In response, we present Zenscape, a novel tangible system that encourages regular microbreaks through a subtle stirring water action and sound. Zenscape aims to improve the quality of the microbreaks by inviting user participation in creative micro activities that are inspired from Zen Garden philosophy. We conducted field deployments of Zenscape with seven participants who interacted with the system daily for at least 2 weeks. The study revealed that the physicality of the system brought discipline to participants’ work routine and interacting with the Zen Garden made microbreaks refreshing. Participants took frequent breaks with Zenscape, found themselves more productive and less tired at the end of the day. Based on study insights, we present three design considerations to guide the design of the future technologies for supporting regular microbreaks.

Makerspaces hold a lot of potential for participation in innovation, democratization of technology, and as a resource for community building – but not all who make, are represented in makerspaces: many makers do not feel at home in these spaces. This paper investigates the wants and needs of people who are engaged with making. It describes the result of four co-creation events, in which participants constructed their ideal version of a makerspace. By analysing the thoughts and ideas that participants shared during the building process, and the resulting physical representations of makerspaces, we uncovered two distinct tensions in what makers require from their ideal makerspace: the tension between having fun in a space and a space that is functional; and the tension between having the opportunity to collaborate with other people, versus undisturbed focus on projects. We contextualize these findings in literature related to makerspaces and offer suggestions for dealing with these tensions through design.

Machine learning becomes more prevalent in specialized domains such as medicine and biology every year, but domain expert trust in machine learning continues to lag behind. Researchers have explored increasing rational trust in AI but little research exists focusing on systems that foster affective and normative trust between domain experts and data scientists who create the models. Tools like Project Jupyter have attempted to bridge this gap between data scientists and domain experts, but failed to see uptake in applied fields or to promote collaboration through co-located synchronous work. To address this we present a proof-of-concept tabletop interactive machine learning system for synchronous, co-located model fine tuning. We tested our system with biology experts and data scientists on a cell biology dataset. Results show that our system promotes interactions between domain experts, data scientists, and the model-in-training and fosters domain expert affective and normative trust in the resulting AI model.

The proliferation of data throughout society has produced an increased interest in novel ways to represent information to provide new insights, re-humanize data, or allow broader participation. Many novel data representations allow people to physically interact with information by picking up, touching, and manipulating artefacts that encode data through their material properties. In this paper, we draw on the arts to explore how we might design for deeper physical engagement with data. How can we feel data through movements, instead of through objects? We examine nine instructional movement sequences created by five dancers as part of a larger workshop on data and dance. Our findings shed light on promising design strategies for somatically-focused data representations including observations on the relational, layered, and emotionally engaged approaches taken by dancers. We also reflect on these approaches in relation to soma design and identify areas for future work in “data somatics.”

Feeling breath signals from the digital world has many values in remote settings. These signals have been visually or audibly represented in previous research, but recent advances in wearable technology now enable us to simulate breath signals via haptics, as an intimate and intuitive form of non-verbal interaction. Prior works relied on low-resolution methods of breath signal rendering and thus a limited understanding of associated haptic perceptions. Addressing this gap, our research introduces breatHaptics, a wearable that offers a high-resolution, haptic representation of breath signals. By utilizing extracted breath data, a mapping algorithm model and finely-tuned soft actuated materials, we deliver a granular simulation of human breath. Through a perception study involving force discrimination testing and haptic experience evaluation, we demonstrate breatHaptics’ ability to create a rich, nuanced tactile sensation of feeling breath haptically. Our work illustrates the promising role of breatHaptics as part of wearable technologies in offering well-being support.

Body perception has a significant impact on people’s motor, emotional, and social functioning. We evaluated the potential of four different existing wearable prototypes, which provide sound or haptic bodily feedback to alter body perception. In a Research through Design workshop, we invited professional dancers as expert study participants to explore and assess our prototypes. Based on the workshop’s insights, we articulate the experiential quality of Body Transformation, which characterizes how dancers perceive and experience their bodies while interacting with such prototypes. The quality encompasses a perceptual and holistic transformation, impacting the feelings about body, movement and emotions, and where the sensory feedback’s evocative power is crucial. Additionally, it elicits different transformation valuations. We contribute a deeper understanding of the impact of sensory feedback on body perception, its potential for transforming people’s overall body experience, and methodological insights on the potential of working with dancers to evaluate wearable sensory technology.

Arm gestures play a pivotal role in facilitating natural mid-air interactions. While computer vision techniques aim to detect these gestures, they encounter obstacles like obfuscation and lighting conditions. Alternatively, wearable devices have leveraged interactive textiles to recognize arm gestures. However, these methods predominantly emphasize textile deformation-based interactions, like twisting or grasping the sleeve, rather than tracking the natural body movement.This study bridges this gap by introducing an e-textile sleeve system that integrates multiple ultra-sensitive graphene e-textile strain sensors in an arrangement that captures bending and twisting along with an inertia measurement unit into a sports sleeve. This paper documents a comprehensive overview of the sensor design, fabrication process, seamless interconnection method, and detachable hardware implementation that allows for reconfiguring the processing unit to other body parts. A user study with ten participants demonstrated that the system could classify six different fundamental arm gestures with over 90% accuracy.

Most physical data representations rely on vision only and miss the opportunity of making people physically experience data. This work introduces ‘A Fair Game’: a narrative sensification that uses story-telling and embodied interaction to provide data insight. A Fair Game is a two-player horse race installation representing passport power, where people pull on a rope to move their horse. People randomly draw a high- or low-ranking passport which determines the horse’s speed, so either a lot or little physical effort is needed to win the race. The installation was deployed at an exhibition for two days, where we conducted interviews with fifteen people. Findings indicate that people’s embodied interaction and the visible unfairness of the game contributed to emotional engagement. Participant’s felt frustration and empathy, which facilitated space for discussions regarding the topic. Our work shows the potential of kinesthetic and emotional engagement, and introduces the concept of narrative sensification.

As interest in materiality has increased in human-computer interaction (HCI), a growing body of research has emerged on the use of smart materials to enhance interactivity. In particular, thermochromic materials, which change color in response to environmental temperature, have drawn attention. However, despite their dynamicity and interactivity, limited studies have dug into their playful potential. This paper presents Thermo-Play, a series of four projects—Picky Tamagotchi, Alphabet Blocks, Shake My Hand, and Gradual Display—that examine the potential of thermochromism in the sense of play and its implications for design and HCI. Evaluating the four projects, we identify the elements that make thermochromic materials playful, such as physicality, color-dynamicity, and gradualness, and the limitations of these materials. Through the findings of Thermo-Play, we expect to discover new opportunities for thermochromic materials in designing playful interactions.

We introduce Pic2Tac, a novel system that automatically converts photographs into tactile images. It offers an alternative way to communicate visual information that is difficult to express using braille or alternative text. Current methods for creating tactile images are either limited in representation, or require handmade artefacts. Pic2Tac employs a unique approach that avoids a literal representation of image content (e.g. contours). Instead, it detects salient semantic content within photographs and translates them into tactile images using dedicated ‘tactile words’. Foreground objects are represented using icons, and patterns are used for background regions. The resulting binary image is printed on swell paper, where black regions rise to form a tactile image. Studies involving 60 participants, both sighted and with visual impairments, demonstrate the effectiveness of these tactile images in communicating semantic meaning. Our findings show that tactile and visual descriptions of scenes matched significantly. Overall, Pic2Tac is an affordable way to create accessible tactile images, costing only 1.50 USD per sheet.

Data is often inaccessible for non-expert users, leading to a lack of data transparency and speculation in the understanding and interpretation of data, not providing personal value to individuals. The SensorBricks toolkit was evaluated during 5 workshops (N = 20) to learn how an IoT toolkit can support the development of data literacy. The SensorBricks toolkit introduced data to individuals in a fun, accessible and easy way, creating a low boundary for users to interact with data, sensors and output modalities. The toolkit helped individuals to reflect on the role of data in their environment. The collaborative aspect gave individuals the option to discuss the data and learn from each other’s experiences helping users to create a meaningful interpretation and shared understanding of sensor data. The combined digital and data physicalization data representation gives individuals both awareness and in-detail information, creating an understandable and informative way of presenting data.

This paper offers an analysis of how design activities engage with the body in the context of teaching embodied methods, and specifically body-centric design for play. Based on the analysis, we propose an empirically grounded framework for describing the various engagements with and considerations around the body as it comes into play in coursework on the use of body-centric design methods.

Under an overarching interest in dealing with use contexts and interactions as embodied and situated experiences, designers have been concerned with diverse issues, problems, aspects and opportunities related to the body. In interaction design and design-oriented HCI, this is reflected in a wealth of theories, design concepts, methodological frameworks and design examples that describe, explore and guide the design of body-technology relations. Much of such work has been of a normative character, recommending how design practice or designed things should relate to bodies, with an eye to method or design concept development. Few work has been concerned with how this interest can be implemented in design education, and how to teach students to attune themselves to bodies. In this paper, we apply an analytical, rather than normative, approach to body-centric methods, and one that is situated within the context of a specific area of interest for design practice, i.e. that of design for play. Through that, we focus on how distinct views of and approaches to body intersect in design activities, as they are carried out by students as part of coursework. The paper also contributes to embodied play design education by providing a body-centred framework.

Based on empirical data collected from project work carried out by design students on a master’s course in product design, this paper offers an analysis of the students’ engagements with and considerations of the body. We find five bodily dimensions: the physical body and its parts; the body as locus of action; the body as locus of embodied experience; the social body; the body as materially entangled – and one practice-specific dimension, the body in play. These findings are then described in the form of a matrix aimed at guiding design education.

We introduce Data Probes, technology-mediated probes designed to reveal some of the inner workings of connected devices, including common embedded sensors and the data they collect. By making these common features both accessible and unfamiliar, the probes supported research participants in looking at these technologies from a different perspective and reflecting on capabilities and behaviours that may be obscured by the design of commercial products. During a study where participants lived and travelled with the probes for a month, we were able to gain generative design insights into people’s attitudes towards and relationships with connected devices, suggesting new opportunities for designs that take alternative approaches to currently entrenched visions of the Internet of Things. We present this exploratory study as an illustration of how a technology-mediated probe might prompt reflection on their technologies and open up new design spaces.

We developed a shape-changing constructive kit, named Mimosa1. A key component of the toolkit is the modular hinges, each of which is equipped with two antagonistic shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. One wire deforms the hinge to approach its predetermined angle at high temperature, and another wire drives the hinge back when it cools down. Hinge leaves are available in different materials including acrylic, cardboard and textile, which increases the versatility of the toolkit. Every hinge weighs 2.1-5.4 g, and generates up to 5.7 N actuation force. A Bluetooth control module was developed, enabling remote control of the shape-changing objects. Mimosa aims to inspire designers to explore and create interactive shape-morphing objects with SMAs. A few examples are given such as a gripper, a rolling robot, a butterfly, an airplane and a self-closing pocket. A workshop study with 6 participants showed that Mimosa indeed motivated and inspired the participants to create new ideas.

Cameras provide a vast amount of information at high rates and are part of many specialized or general-purpose devices. This versatility makes them suitable for many interaction scenarios, yet they are constrained by geometry and require objects to keep a minimum distance for focusing. We present the LensLeech, a soft silicone cylinder that can be placed directly on or above lenses. The clear body itself acts as a lens to focus a marker pattern from its surface into the camera it sits on. This allows us to detect rotation, translation, and deformation-based gestures such as pressing or squeezing the soft silicone. We discuss design requirements, describe fabrication processes, and report on the limitations of such on-lens widgets. To demonstrate the versatility of LensLeeches, we built prototypes to show application examples for wearable cameras, smartphones, and interchangeable-lens cameras, extending existing devices by providing both optical input and output for new functionality.

Shape-changing interfaces offer transformative potential for user interaction across numerous sectors, facilitating more intuitive and immersive experiences. In parallel, their significant design complexity and cost constrain the widespread adoption of these interfaces. To tackle these challenges, MorphMatrix is a toolkit that lowers the entry barrier for designing and implementing shape-changing interfaces. MorphMatrix includes a software system with customized GUI and simulation capabilities; a flexible physical framework adaptable for various application scenarios; and a kinetic system that governs interface transformations. We illustrate the potential of MorphMatrix through five diverse application scenarios, complemented by a user study validating its effectiveness and usability. MorphMatrix streamlines the design and construction of shape-changing interfaces, thus facilitating broader applicability and potential impacts across interactive computational systems.

Feeling another person’s breathing is an intimate encounter that can promote deep connection, communicate affective information, and influence our physiological state. Emerging technologies are exploring the mediation of biosignals, such as breathing, between people to yield meaningful interactions. However, little is known about people’s subjective and physiological responses to mediated breath and the implications for designing these mediatory interfaces.

We contribute to this space with three studies investigating subjective and physiological responses to mediated breath. We mediate breath with a custom pneumatic haptic cushion and offer strategies for simulating diverse breathing patterns. Our studies investigate three aspects of mediated breath interactions: physiological responses to regular breathing patterns (n=21); recognition of expressive breathing patterns (n=21); and subjective responses to mediated breath between partners in combination with video, audio or in isolation (n=8). We discuss our key findings and highlight areas of consideration for designers curating mediated breath interactions with tangible interfaces.

The experience of dancing with remote friends can provide the opportunity to deepen intimacy in distance. However, existing remote dancing platforms have proven insufficient in conveying the presence of friends in our physical atmosphere. In this paper, we explore ‘ how can we design the presence of a remote friend’ during the dance. To achieve this objective we employed a visual design approach called “sharing the same ground”.Our experimental prototype enables two individuals to engage in dancing within their respective physical space, while simultaneously visualizing their footsteps movement to each other in real-time. Using motion sensors to capture foot position and rotation, we project calculated footsteps visuals on the floor to facilitate dancing. Through qualitative analysis, we concluded that the prototype establishes the strong presence of friends engaged in remote dancing.

We explore how actively engaging with the temporalities of a nonhuman organism can lead to multispecies understanding. To do so, we design a bio-digital calendar that brings attention to the growth and health of kombucha SCOBY, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that lives in a tea medium. The non-invasive bio-digital calendar surrounds the kombucha SCOBY to track (via sensors) and enhance (via sound) its growth. As we looked at and listened to our kombucha SCOBY calendar on a daily basis, we became attuned to the slowness of kombucha SCOBY. This multisensory noticing practice with the calendar, in turn, destabilized our preconceived human-centered positionality, leading to a more humble, decentered relationship between us and the organism. Through our experiences with the bio-digital calendar, we gained a better relational multispecies understanding of temporalities based on care, which, in the long term, might be a solution to a more sustainable future.

Sonolithography is the process of directed patterning of airborne particles through the exertion of acoustic radiation forces in ultrasound fields. In this work we present a novel way to explore and gain intuition about the process through tangible interaction. We demonstrate the design and use of a physical instrument for the creation of sonolithographs. The design includes the “Orbograph”, a tangible controller that embodies key acoustic parameters through direct tactile interactions; a low-cost and open-source driving circuit; and a configurable transducer array. We demonstrate its capabilities by presenting sonolithographs made with the tool that contain linear patterns, grids, circular and more complex shapes. By using different dyes and active materials, we demonstrate sonolithography’s creative application as well as suggest its potential in the fabrication of interactive devices. Through this work we encourage a playful artistic exploration of the domain to motivate future research in sonolithography for tangible material interactions.

Most people are entangled with an ever-growing trail of data that results from their daily interactions with products and services. Yet, they are hardly aware of the nature and characteristics of the data within this trail. We design dataslip, a provocative artifact that materializes the personal data trail into a receipt and aims to elicit creepiness. We demonstrate dataslip at two events in Delft, The Netherlands. Dataslip is a starting point to foster conversations with local community members about the underlying challenges and potential alternatives to personal data collection and use. We use these as prompts for further speculation through a collaborative futuring exercise with children, where we part from challenges towards hopeful and empowering futures. We contribute with an artifact that invites individuals to interrogate the current personal data practices they are embedded in and a set of five speculative design scenarios that suggest hopeful and empowering alternatives.

Sensing Bodies is an interactive installation that integrates plants, biosensors, and data displays in a series of tangible embodied encounters to facilitate reflection on the complex sociopolitical entanglements of plants. The triptych installation incorporates different forms of biodata and three plantation plants of the U.S. South to highlight reciprocal people-plant relationships while fostering a deeper sensibility toward colonial histories of local landscapes. In this paper, we put forth three design provocations for engaging with postcolonial perspectives in more-than-human interactions: materializing tensions to trouble multi-species relationships, embracing ambiguities and multiple relationalities, and highlighting geographic and cultural situatedness. In doing so, we contribute to how TEI might facilitate postcolonial understandings and sensibilities.

Throughout human history, communication has evolved and diversified t hrough v arious m eans, f rom natural languages to modern forms like video and virtual reality. Now, a paradigm shift, transhumanism, is proposing the integration of machines and computers into the human body to augment individuals physically, sensorily, cognitively, and emotionally. In this pictorial, we examine “How can we approach the design of transhuman technologies for communication?” and “How might future research examine their impact on communication?” For this, we conducted co-speculation workshops to identify design opportunities, and based on them, created fictional a bstracts envisioning future research. Our work contributes a set of design speculations and a range of thought-provoking research ideas that will foster discussions about probable pitfalls and benefits of transhuman technologies in the future of communication.

Ironically, global warming is leading to increased demand for artificial space cooling, which in turn fuels greenhouse gas emissions. In this pictorial, we present a set of deliberately uncomfortable design fictions aimed at disrupting this harmful cycle and opening new design spaces for alternative forms of summer comfort. Through the fictions, we argue how designers’ assumptions about comfort play a role in steering responses to global warming in narrow, resource-intensive and exclusionary directions. In our discussion, we increase the heat by reflecting on the role of assumed users in fueling resource intensive lifestyles, and challenge designers to consider users that are affluent but nonetheless willing and able to invest effort and change their expectations in the face of current global crises. We close with a visual provocation that links designing low effort technological solutions to the breeding practices of the cuckoo.

In this work, we compare the designs of two fashion-tech garments that communicate the anxiety felt when walking alone. While the two garments share a common vision, they are designed to be worn in two radically different settings and to communicate to different audiences: one directly communicates an empathetic experience to its wearer; the other a model wears at a runway show and must share its story to a general audience. We used Research Through Design (RtD) methods to design both fashion-tech garments. Then, we recorded and analyzed the design process for both garments via an annotated portfolio to compare how the audience and setting influenced the design approach and the final wearable. In this paper, we describe both fashion-tech designs and a comparison of their respective annotated portfolios. Our analysis highlights how wearable technology must respond to context to continue communicating its story to its intended audience.

Anxiety among university students has increased in recent years due to stressful factors of studies coupled with tightened individual performance requirements stemming both inside and outside the student. While prior anxiety treatment wearables have focused on aiding self-management through an automated tangible therapeutic response to the biometrics reading, this pictorial presents the design, development, and evaluation of the SuspenderMender, shared management enabling pair of wearables (i.e., a T-shirt and suspenders). Inspired by prior research suggestions on the power of physical contact and social support in anxiety management, the SuspenderMender allows transferring a touch through wearables. A Wizard of Oz pair evaluation with ten university students suggests that the concept idea is relevant and the simulated physical touch felt comforting, almost like a real hug. However, participants raised issues with the inequality of the interaction between the two wearables. Based on our findings, we suggest design considerations for future wearables for the shared management of anxiety.

Generative models have revolutionized the field of art and design, providing an emerging and accessible approach to creating diverse artwork. However, effectively utilizing these models still requires significant expertise, making the system inaccessible to novice users, such as young children. This paper introduces a novel approach to artwork generation, combining tangible elements with AI generative models, resulting in a more engaging and immersive learning experience. With materials prepared by teachers, students can easily create digital artwork by manipulating tangible building blocks. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed pipeline can be applied to various scenarios, using either off-the-shelf or carefully designed tangible elements. This approach provides an interdisciplinary learning platform for arts and design education, fostering creativity and exploration of various art styles and design topics.

Driven by the vision of future responsive environments, where everyday surroundings can perceive human behaviors and respond through intelligent robotic actuation, we propose Wizard of Props (WoP): a human-centered design workflow for creating expressive, implicit, and meaningful interactions. This collaborative experience prototyping approach integrates full-scale physical props with Mixed Reality (MR) to support ideation, prototyping, and rapid testing of responsive environments. We present two design explorations that showcase our investigations of diverse design solutions based on varying technology resources, contextual considerations, and target audiences. Design Exploration One focuses on mixed environment building, where we observe fluid prototyping methods. In Design Exploration Two, we explore how novice designers approach WoP, and illustrate their design ideas and behaviors. Our findings reveal that WoP complements conventional design methods, enabling intuitive body-storming, supporting flexible prototyping fidelity, and fostering expressive environment-human interactions through in-situ improvisational performance.

We present a method of creating living computer-aided drawings by depositing mold spores onto a growth medium using a modified 3D printer. Our approach combines the precision of computerized numerical control with the organic growth of fungi to yield an aesthetic and evolving viewing experience. The organic element of the drawing results in unique and unexpected artifacts driven by environmental factors and manufacturing inconsistencies. The microscopic spores, invisible to the naked eye, also allow for a sense of anticipation and surprise as a drawing slowly develops. Exploring the possibilities of mold-based media, we examined the color, growth pattern, and species interaction of two non-toxic fungal species. In this paper, we address the technical challenges of building a reliable mold printer, explore different methods of preservation, and conclude with a discussion regarding the artistic possibilities of creating living mold drawings.

Through the exploration of plant motion, this paper introduces a method called the Metaphor Ring, which proposes the use of metaphor to define the types of information that can be conveyed through shape-changing interfaces inspired by plant motion. To put this method into practice, the paper presents five potential use cases that use soft robotics technology to apply plant motion to shape-changing interfaces to enhance the user experience and convey information in a more intuitive and natural way through motion. Each physical object provides 2-3 types of dynamic feedback, enabling the presentation of status and data from computers and home appliances. Each pattern is independent, they could be applied to different usage scenarios, bridging the gap of inconsistent deformation semantics between use cases and providing an entry point for designing shape-changing interfaces.

Metal welding is a craft manufacturing skill that can be unusually difficult to externalize and represent to novices. Building competency requires an apprentice to iteratively practice embodied skills and sensitize themselves to a sensorially complex practice. To explore these challenges, we organized a series of co-design workshops with a youth program in welding and fabrication. Working with eight instructors and four students, we identified opportunities for mixed reality, sensing, and tinyML processes to augment welding training and practice. This resulted in an extended reality (XR) welding helmet and torch that enhances the embodied learning of welding in three key ways: biometric sensing enhances mindfulness and stress management in sensorially challenging environments; acoustic sensing focuses learner attention on non-visual cues of weld performance; and combined motion-sensing and visual XR feedback helps improve proprioceptive and embodied learning. These features are assessed and we offer design implications for augmenting novice learning of craft-practice with XR approaches.

In Human-Computer Interaction, body maps are a standard tool to understand an individual’s bodily phenomenon. Body maps often use abstract drawings and text annotations on an outline of a body. However, little research has explored alternate ways we can collect similar data. In this pictorial, we present tactile body maps, which use an array of textured fabric circles attached to a felt-shaped body instead of a more traditional approach to drawing body maps. We first present an illustration of how researchers can use tactile body maps and show an example of the type of data collected in the method. We then tested the augmented body map method alongside drawing body maps and verbal-only body descriptions with eight participants to explore the benefits and disadvantages of each technique. Through the data, we present a set of considerations that a researcher can use to decide which way would be most appropriate for their soma design process.

By documenting and annotating one author’s ongoing project combining 3D printing and handweaving to produce computational hybrid baskets, we contribute a framework for understanding hybrid craft. We identify three levels of material practice as observed in the basketry project—physical joinery between rigid printed-plastic parts and soft textiles, seamful multipart fabrication workflows, and aesthetics which negotiate between “basketlike” and “computational” forms—and analyze tensions and possible resolutions at each level.

STEM education is an important component of broadening participation in computational fields, and robotics-inspired kits are a common avenue for teaching youth computational concepts. In this pictorial, we contrast widely used kits (i.e., Lego Mindstorms, Sphero, and DASH) with a kit we created in the form of a module embedded in a summer camp, that takes an alternative approach. Most existing kits are designed with clear-cut, narrowly defined end goals for learners to accomplish. The lessons typically do not include teaching design concepts, and do not offer opportunities for crafting, personalization, and storytelling. We offer a more flexible and creative kit design; integrating concepts such as design thinking, iterative design, and collaboration. We illustrate our design process used to craft the kit/module, along with artifacts collected from its use, and discuss how this approach might help support a broader range of groups—particularly those that are underrepresented in STEM.

We invite technology practitioners to join us in the collaborative exploration of discomfort associated with technology in the age of surveillance capitalism. With the help of body-based exercises inspired by choreography we will articulate the discomforts of living and designing with extractivist technology. Our studio is aimed at technology practitioners of a broad range of expertise who have experienced discomfort in relation to data-driven extractivist systems. In the first part of the studio participants will share their experiences of resisting such systems both as users and creators of technology. In the second part, participants will engage in an ideation session to propose forms of countering existing technologies. Embodied methods and choreographic approaches will be used for making digital discomfort tangible and for guiding the exploration of the topics at stake. As an outcome, participants will collectively design a toolbox to conceptualise discomfort in a tangible, embodied way, and form a network to continue discuss these matters post-studio in an online community discussion group.

In this studio, we will explore sustainable tangible interfaces by making a range of biomaterials that are bio-based and readily biodegradable. Building off of previous TEI studios that were centered around one specific biomaterial (i.e., bioplastics at TEI’22 and microbial cellulose at TEI’23), this studio will provide participants the ability to experience a wide variety of biomaterials from algae-based bioplastics, to food-waste-based bioclays, to gelatin-based biofoams. We will teach participants how to identify types of biomaterials that are applicable to their own research and how to make them. Through hands-on activities, we will demonstrate how to implement biomaterials in the design of sustainable tangible interfaces and discuss topics sensitized by biological media such as more-than-human temporalities, bioethics, care, and unmaking. Ultimately, our goal is to facilitate a space in which HCI researchers and designers can collaborate, create, and discuss the opportunities and challenges of working with sustainable biomaterials.

As robots inhabit more social spheres, human acceptance significantly impacts their functionality and engagement. The way robotic movement is perceived is crucial to their acceptance in society. However, robotic movement is most often a result of function rather than purposefully designed. Working in the continuum between robotic, tangible, and shape-shifting interfaces will enable a deeper exploration of the effects and interpretation of expressive movement. Hence, we propose [e]Motion, a hands-on opportunity for participants to explore design methods and prototype a variety of expressive movements in robotic and actuated and shape-shifting tangible interfaces. We will collectively reflect on evaluation methods and co-develop a visual vocabulary of motion and emotion, mapping movement more directly to personality and emotion. With this, we aim to foster a practical understanding of expressive movement and how it might affect human acceptance of robots and tangible interfaces.

Against the backdrop of a climate crisis, HCI researchers and designers are reflecting upon, reconsidering, and re-imagining the work that we do through the lens of sustainability. In this Studio, we propose to adopt this critical perspective to Sustainable HCI through an examination and reflection on the environmental impact of research conferences. Our Studio builds upon our prior work that explored sustainable methods and toolkits for facilitating data physicalization workshops. We apply the tools and strategies developed through this prior work within a Studio in which participants are facilitated to engage with, reflect upon, and create with data relating to the sustainability of HCI conferences such as Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI). Through the creation of data artefacts that can be displayed, worn, or shared throughout the conference beyond the Studio, we aim to spark wider conversations about the environmental sustainability of TEI2024, as well as HCI conferences more generally.

This one-day studio aims to catalyze discussions and experimentation around non-textual academic documentation methods. With the understanding that human knowledge transcends written words, we aim to explore innovative ways to present and disseminate research outputs in diverse forms and of varying materiality. By bringing together researchers, practitioners, and academics from different disciplines and backgrounds, we seek to challenge the status quo of textual output and envision a future where knowledge production embraces the multisensory nature of human data.

This studio aims to collaboratively build foot augmentations, experiment with different materials and techniques, and create new designs for low-cost, wearable, and accessible devices that can be used by researchers, makers, designers, and artists. Considering the heightened focus on the human body with the rise of AR/VR/XR technologies, foot augmentation has great potential. To explore this potential, we invite researchers, designers and artists to share their applications, experiences, and ideas while designing foot augmentations. Participants will share knowledge, brainstorm ideas, and explore tools and materials for rapid prototyping. Finally, they will tinker and explore, discussing their design strategies to derive common approaches and best practices. Based on the hands-on session results, we will write a paper on design strategies for foot augmentation that will help facilitate more sustainable investigations and design of future foot interfaces.

Alongside the benefits of a world in which more and more things are internet connected (i.e., the IoT), scaffolded by increasingly powerful AI systems, there is a growing recognition of a flipside to this vision of the future. Issues associated with privacy, transparency, legibility and trust have been widely recognized – which the Mozilla Foundation has encapsulated in their Internet Health Reports [13]. This workshop will explore these tensions and concerns through the lens of craft, both as a practice and a conceptual ethos. We will use embroidery as a craft-oriented ‘thinking through making’ activity as the foundation for discussions of our craft characteristics of which consist of; bespokeness, localism, embodiment, provenance, authenticity, and care. Participants will gain a rich understanding of debates around IoT while being engaged in a ‘thinking through doing’ embodied approach to gaining new insights and leave with their own hand embroidered badge.

This PhD explores the potential of leveraging the unique qualities of temperature experiences in the design of tactile and thermal interfaces. Thermal stimuli can evoke various emotions and sensations, from relaxation or nostalgia to feelings of vitality. The research examines the design space of temperature-related experiences, driven by the growing body of literature in multi-sensory technologies and thermal feedback. While temperature feedback has shown promise in enhancing virtual immersion or interpersonal communication, the focus has primarily been on technological aspects, leaving experiential and aesthetic dimensions largely unexplored. This paper highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of temperature experiences to inform future design and enhance the richness of thermal interfaces in various applications.

To counteract the fast-paced and efficiency-driven nature of technological development, Slow Technology philosophy calls for designing technology for reflection and mental rest. However, its focus lies mainly on interaction with artifacts on the user side. There is a lack of understanding of how applying this philosophy can influence designers and shape design processes. The goal of my PhD is to investigate notions of slowing down within participatory design processes through the lens of handcrafting with e-textiles, to uncover alternative design strategies for envisioning future technologies. To achieve this, I will probe slowing-down properties of crafts like state of flow, rhythm, and repetitiveness that have a peaceful and relaxing effect. I will apply these qualities to participatory design processes, allowing time for creativity, reflection, and diverse paths of participation. My findings will provide an understanding of how temporal affordances of e-textiles can shape PD processes, and offer strategies to facilitate and document slow design processes.

How might tangible design support embodied explorations of queer history, drawing from queer archives scholarship and Queer HCI? My work explores how queering design with attention to historicism, enacted through embodied interactions, can prompt affective and relational understandings of queer history. As preliminary research, this paper outlines a previous design case study, “Button Portraits: Embodying Queer History with Interactive Wearable Artifacts.” The project uses queer methods and archival materials to design affective, embodied engagements that queer our understandings of historical linearity, imagine alternative and coalitional relationalities, and prompt emotional connections to shared queer history. This case study serves as a starting point for developing design methodology that explores embodied, tangible, interactive experiences of queer archives. Progressing my research, I outline these considerations in the context of a proposed project entitled “Queer Embodied Mapping,” which draws on historicism to queer tangible interaction design by fabulating a collective archive of embodied oral histories.

This paper introduces my PhD research on how a tangible and embodied technological layer can enhance and enlarge an existing public space to promote children’s informal learning (IFL). IFL is increasingly recognized as the basis for education, as children learn through social, creative, and playful interactions. IFL is rooted in daily lives and expands the children´s sphere of action beyond their confined social spaces in public and educational institutes. Using the urban environment makes education more accessible to a broad group. Therefore, I will create conditions and structures that make informal educational processes possible and available. I seek to achieve opportunity spaces by fostering alternative experimentational approaches. Through implementing design interventions in the public, I will playfully appropriate the existing and create opportunity spaces for IFL. The design intervention should open up children’s creativity, encourage social interaction, and enhance mental health, which is often neglected in the education system.

This paper unveils a PhD research on “Resonance,” an instrument at the crossroads of collaborative music-making, gameplay, and music-related human-computer interaction. Resonance creates a unique communal gameplay performance system, where players are interdependent, transcending the boundaries of human and non-human agency. This collective process has the potential to enhance human connections and bonding, amplifying players’ sensitivity to one another and their environment. The heart of this collaboration comprises intricate networks of signals, nurturing relationships, shared expression, decision-making processes, negotiation, and a spectrum of implementations. Resonance’s design showcases tactile and tangible interfaces, employing capacitive touch technology as a sound interface, thereby providing an immersive platform for player interaction. Within the broader context of constructing (an interactive music-making) ecology, networks involving people, electronics, and environments, this artwork stands as a testament to the concept’s transformative power. The performance of Resonance takes the form of an acrylic panel adorned with conductive materials, composing a tangible user interface. It made its debut in the context of a Laptop Orchestra’s performance, artfully spatialized over a 92-speaker immersive sound system. This performance beckons forth audio recordings that illustrate the vibrant character of Resonance’s sonic palette. In summary, Resonance encapsulates an innovative fusion of music, interactivity, and collaboration. This paper sheds light on the instrument’s potential to strengthen human connections and foster collaborative music creation, all the while encapsulating the richness of individual voices within a harmonious network of signals.

Modular robots have proven valuable for STEM education. However, modular robot kits are often expensive, which makes them limited in accessibility. My research focuses on using paper and approachable techniques to create modular robots. The kit’s design encompasses three core technologies: paper circuits, sensation feedback mechanisms, and 3D geometry. I have developed proof-of-concept demonstrations of technologies for each aspect. I will integrate these technologies to design and build a paper modular robot kit. This kit includes various types of modules for input, output, and other functions. My dissertation will discuss the development of these technologies and how they are integrated. This research will address the considerations and techniques for paper as an interactive material, providing a guideline for future research and development of paper-based interaction.

The ever-increasing availability, use and convergence of data, in the context of industry, means a holistic approach to understanding its potential and possible limitations is required to unlock greater insights and productivity. The objective of my proposed research is to investigate an individual user’s experience when presented with visualized data through mixed reality (MR) as the chosen modality. More specifically, data from industrial contexts i.e., manufacturing process data, systems data, energy data, etc. Thus, an immersive digital twin (DT) through a holographic medium and user interface. The incorporation of neurophenomenology in the methodology with observations on objective neural processes as well as phenomenological methods can create a multi-layered approach which will enable the analysis of user experiences from subjective, behavioral, and neurological perspectives. It explores whether the experiential feedback impacts the user positively or negatively and whether that transition from conventional 2-dimensional (2D) monitor interface to immersive 3D holograms have a significant impact on the human user due to this modality change with MR offering visuospatial context.

Even though digital and printing technologies have advanced, it is challenging to reproduce ink blotches and shaky brushstrokes completely digitally. Therefore, in our previous study, we produced accidental changes that are difficult to reproduce in digital printing by using a writing brush as output against digital input. This paper builds on our previous work and focuses on parametric control of direct handwriting. We propose direct writing with effects as regular or three-dimensional distortion unique to computer control to provide more expressive techniques for artists off-screen, which is difficult to achieve with handwriting, and also uses this technique to create a physical writing motion typography. In this paper, we present a specific implementation of the effects and show the results of pressure-applied writing with five different effects. It also shows the results of creating physical writing motion typography by repeatedly writing with a constant amount of parameter changes.

We present a method for 3D printing objects with variable softness inspired by mechanical metamaterials. These printed cellular structures can provide users with varying experiences of compliance across different scales through changes in their parametrized cell geometries. With our approach and tool, we want to enable designers and makers to rapidly prototype objects with variable softness as a base for diverse applications. The hereby generated structures are adaptable for fabrication on both high-end and commodity 3D printers. Four participants engaged in hands-on exploration with such 3D printed samples, providing initial data on how cell-parameters might affect the subjective/qualitative experience of compliance. In future research, we will systematically investigate such relationships to better understand how these structures can be designed to achieve desired perceived properties.

Feline urine provides valuable insights into an animal’s well-being. However, professional veterinary urine analysis can be invasive, costly, and infrequent. Electrochemical biosensors, widely used in medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, food quality control, and drug discovery, offer a promising solution for sensing analytes in feline urine. This paper introduces the “Feline Biofluids IoT Hub” concept that aims at making previously inaccessible biological data in pets’ fluids visible and integrates biofluid sensing with an Internet of Things (IoT) system to enhace comprehensive animal health monitoring. To implement that concept, our project GluCAT includes a biosensing litter box and an activity sensing mat to facilitate the care of diabetic cats. Chronoamperometic data is capture from the electrochemical biosensor using a potentiostat and send to a database via Wi-Fi, providing data visualization through a mobile application. We present electrochemical biosensor tests across five glucose levels. We compare results from feline urine samples with laboratory-grade tests. Furthermore, we share insights from a real-world user study involving a cat interacting with GluCAT for over 50 hours. We envision our project enabling the monitoring of various illnesses by detecting analytes like pH, sodium, and glucose in feline urine using electrochemical biosensors, complemented by data from pet-oriented IoT devices measuring water intake, activity, weight, and food consumption.

This work explores branching narratives through KaavadBits, a tabletop art installation embodying the kaavadiya-jajmaan or the narrator-patron perspective of kaavad baanchana, the Indian storytelling tradition of reciting the kaavad. For diegetic worldbuilding of tales from Panchatantra, a compilation of ancient Indian animal fables, the narrator takes the physical form of a tree, with which the audience interacts using tokens for a seamless multi-modal storytelling experience. Building on the related explorations, we propose a novel design that immerses the audience through choice, character and question-based interactions. We discuss the insights from a pilot user study and directions for future work. Through this paper, we aim to strike consequential tangible, technological and narrative explorations into various lesser-known traditional forms of storytelling that may inspire new interaction techniques, ultimately preserving the intangible heritages.

Increasingly individuals use devices, diaries, or applications to track aspects of their lives. Visualizing diverse sets of data and exploring their relationships poses challenges when data is fragmented across different devices or sources. Constructive Physicalization offers an alternative approach by creating visualizations using tangible tokens, allowing for greater expressive freedom and a new visual mapping process. To address this, we developed DataChest. DataChest functions as a constructive data physicalization toolkit for self-tracking, enabling users to visualize and make sense of their data. Comprising of 1057 3D-printed components, including trays, tokens, and a guidebook. DataChest can be used to explore how individuals engage with their self-tracking data and gain insights into the effectiveness of different visualization approaches. Additionally, we introduce users to the toolkit by showcasing various data types and visualization expertise levels, reflecting different levels of toolkit complexity. Our insights are relevant for the development of constructive data physicalization toolkits.

Inspired by the strong concept of Intercorporeal Biofeedback, here we present the design and development of a minimalist embodied sketching toolkit for designing wearables for motor learning. The toolkit includes technology probes featuring minimalist wearable digital units that support hands-on explorations and the design of potential future interactions driven by movement with multisensory feedback. These units are self-contained and generate audiovisual or vibrotactile patterns in response to body inputs such as movement, spatial orientation, and touch. Here, we present and characterise the toolkit, together with its theoretical and empirical grounding and the design values driving the design process. The toolkit can be useful for those interested in an embodied design approach to designing wearables in general, and specifically for those targeting movement, such as in motor learning application domains. It can complement and be used with other assorted non-digital objects during Embodied Sketching sessions, like bodystorming.

Remote video communication is now part of everyday life, also for families. At the same time, children encounter digital devices at an early age, but studies indicate that physical play is still vital for their development. To support physical play at a distance, we introduce two prototypes build around projection displays, WallWizard and TableCanvas. Both allow users to play together remotely by combining physical and digital elements on shared surfaces. We evaluated our prototypes through an expert review, and, based on this study, we elaborate further on TableCanvas. We conducted a second qualitative user study with an updated prototype, focused on evaluating the remote aspect. The overall feedback was positive and suggested that the concept could facilitate and promote open-ended play, as well as support a successful remote play experience. Users also indicated additional potential use cases for board gaming, education, and work-related tasks.

Squeezing objects has been proven to be effective in helping people release negative emotions. This work-in-progress study revolves around the design and development of a proof-of-concept system to facilitate conversations on how to design squeezable interfaces for emotion regulation in the workplace. In this paper, we describe the design and development of EmoSkweezee, an interactive desktop wallpaper controlled by a squeezable ball to support emotion regulation in a peripheral way. In our pilot study, we utilized this proof-of-concept system to provoke discussions with HCI practitioners about their perspectives and the potential of squeezable interfaces for emotion regulation. In the future, the requirements for a squeezable interface for emotion regulation will be explored with desk workers and experts through interviews and co-design workshops. This proof-of-concept will serve as a catalyst for conversations in our future user studies.

Human-computer interaction research with yarn-based crafts has concentrated on those that can be done by machine, like knitting and weaving. Crochet, on the other hand, has received little attention in HCI, because it cannot be automated. We explore integrating both electronics and digitally-fabricated materials—like 3D prints—into handcrafted crochet objects. We use 3D printed structures to guide crochet stitches by constraining stitch sizes and placement, and infill patterns to change the works’ form, stiffness, and appearance. We also explore printed ring structures that bridge soft crochet and hard electronics, and whether different conductors can be crocheted. We demonstrate combining these primitives to build crocheted input devices like buttons and an interactive octopus. Our techniques can help crafters design and create interactive crochet objects.

In an age of data, we are increasingly defined by the data sets collected about us. Expressing identity in these data sets can be difficult as they are aggregated and collected according to specific values and beliefs that might not match our own. Through an elaborate process that I refer to as data introspection, I explored three data sets about myself (books I read, board games I played and my yoga practice) to create a feminist, hand-embroidered physicalisation of those data sets. Building on the principles of Data Feminism, I reflect on the process of creating that artefact, including the selection and cleaning of the data, the materiality of the artefact and the crafting process. The artefact exemplifies new ways to use unconventional personal data as a creative, feminist material for design.

Despite advancements in actually reproducing movie representations, it remains difficult to reproduce them on the human body due to physical limitations. Therefore, we focus on “motion exaggeration” in animation and reproduce it with hair physically. We have developed “Extail,” a wearable hair extension-type device that exaggerates the motion of hair bundle. This device blends in with the wearer’s appearance and does not affect the impression of motion. To evaluate the exaggerated motion we implemented, we conducted a controlled experiment in which we subjected the device-mounted base to the same motion with and without exaggeration. We asked 40 people to compare their impressions of the hair bundle motion, and more than 70% of them judged that the motion with exaggeration appeared larger. This research realizes body motion augmentation in a way that the mechanism is unobtrusive and provides a new perspective on the fusion of movie representations and the body.

Being together virtually has become an alternative for many people, who cannot meet physically. In relationships among grandparents and grandchildren, for instance, online meetings have become an appreciated means to connect when meeting face-to-face is not, or not often enough, an option. However, although a variety of technologies exist to do so, they rarely take into account the physical space that they are situated within, i.e., the physical surroundings of the conversation partners. In the work presented in this paper we experimented with bridging distant physical spaces in playful ways. We designed four instances of intergenerational online meetings, and explored their experiential qualities in a workshop with grandparents and grandchildren. We found that the surrounding space indeed provided rich opportunities to facilitate joint tangible activities and experiences rather than being an unnoticed background. In this work in progress, we discuss how these spaces might be considered heterotopia, which invite free play and immersing together in the activities alike, and which seem to be promising to be explored further.

We discuss existent approaches to trace tacit knowledge in craft practices through a turn to more-than-human centered design. This leads to a call for a multi-layered sensing system that covers not only the human body but also the tools and materials involved. Furthermore, it stresses the necessity of relational data collection and analysis. We present the design and implementation of this concept for a traditional woodworking practice: shaving wood with a block plane. In closing, we show feasibility of the suggested design through an initial pilot test. The argument contributes a theoretical turn to material-based sensing principles in the search for ways to track tacit knowledge, it outlines key design principles of this approach, provides an example implementation, and indicates a first validation through pilot data.

Shape-changing interfaces have been critiqued for not being sustainable despite their promising opportunities for tangible interaction. Incorporating nature inspired passive actuation mechanisms with embedded responsiveness can offer benefits for shape-changing interfaces. We introduce chitosan, a widely available biodegradable and humidity-responsive actuator that absorbs moisture from air and undergoes shape changes in response to fluctuations in humidity. Through explorative yet systematic material driven research through design, we uncover the utility and accessibility of chitosan as a reversible actuator to enable interactivity. We present the characterization of a variety of responsive structures made from chitosan films, combined with a variety of substrates. Outcomes from a generative session with designers/engineers from diverse backgrounds, provided insights into experiential properties and possible applications. We conclude with early prototypes that hold potential for wearables, haptics, self-assembly, and data-physicalization.

We present pneuCNTRL, a system providing a programmable, precise air pressure control in a multi-channel setup with interactive actuated, soft and malleable inflatables which we used for studies on data physicalization. pneuCNTRL is a compact, easy-to-use, and affordable solution that allows researchers to quickly and accurately control shape and haptic properties of inflatable structures in HCI experimental studies. We describe its design and functionality, and summarize our experiences with its use in research and teaching. We also discuss potential benefits of pneuCNTRL, such as its ability to support a wide range of experimental designs and the exploration of novel research questions.

This paper introduces Shape2Vibe, a co-design tool for collaboratively designing vibrotactile feedback with people with deafblindness. We outline how a first version of Shape2Vibe was developed and tested. We explain to what extent the tool supports communication during the design process and how it can be used to design meaningful vibrotactile feedback for any given situation. The results from a co-design evaluation study indicate that Shape2Vibe sufficiently supports communication in a co-design session to enable co-design between a designer and people with deafblindness.

MusicalAid is a tangible music system that allows people with different musical literacy and gross/fine motoric skills to play and create music together, either guided by a predefined rhythm or in a ‘free play’ mode. The system is composed of a main unit and a set of ‘instruments’, for example joysticks, a board with large buttons or soft interfaces like pillows with areas that act as switches. MusicalAid is designed so all instruments can at a basic level be synchronized to play to the same rhythm or beat, so they all sound at the same time. MusicalAid was originally developed for adults on the autistic spectrum with gross/fine-motoric limitations but MusicalAid can also allow people in general with different musical and motoric capabilities to play together. Therefore, MusicalAid enables a fun music experience for people that find handling traditional musical instruments challenging, or simply someone who just likes to jam.

Due to dwindling populations, rural communities frequently encounter difficulties in economic growth and conserving their cultural heritage. These challenges are often the result of younger generations moving to urban areas in search of better opportunities, leaving behind an aging population that struggles to maintain traditional practices and stimulate local economies. Innovative entertainment forms such as Immersive XR and theater-style LARPing games are emerging as potential solutions to these challenges. These immersive experiences, particularly appealing to younger demographics, can attract and engage them back in rural revitalization efforts. By integrating modern entertainment with cultural preservation, they present an opportunity to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, thus injecting life into these communities. This paper carefully evaluates the potential benefits and challenges of integrating these technologies into rural revitalization initiatives, drawing on successful case studies for support. It aims to improve our understanding of the possible impact of immersive XR and theater-style LARPing on rural revitalization efforts. Additionally, the paper strives to provide insightful recommendations to guide future research and development in this increasingly important field.

In recent years, research on shape-changing user interfaces composed of collective objects has been conducted extensively. With advancements in semiconductor technology, there is a prospect of miniature wireless-connected computers cooperating to achieve interaction through shape changes. To realize this prospect, the issue of shape estimation among multiple computers becomes crucial. Given the large number of computers involved, it’s more efficient to limit communication to nearby nodes. Ideally, shape estimation should be performed using only neighboring nodes. However, in such a model, where all distances are equal, solving the shape estimation problem from a network graph is known to be NP-hard. In this study, we propose a method that enables shape estimation by imposing constraints on the physical layout, using information from neighboring nodes only. Our approach achieves initialization in O(n) and addition or disconnection in O(1). Shape estimation is expected to facilitate more intuitive interaction with users and support the construction of high-throughput networks. To validate the proposed algorithm, we created a prototype of a shape-changing display and demonstrated shape estimation. This validation underscores the algorithm’s potential as a cornerstone for future shape-changing interface technologies.

Inflatable interfaces are so far predominantly used for creating shape-change. There has not been much work yet on creating tactile textures in inflatables. We present a pneumatic approach for soft and malleable surfaces that can change texture. We describe the pattern design, the fabrication and actuation approach, and illustrate how one texture inflatable prototype was used for lab experiments, and indicate potential application areas.

This paper presents an e-textile sampler of techniques embedding conductive thread and conventional electronic components in tatting lace. It has been proven that wires and connections to components can be made with the tatting structure of half-hitch knots around a foundational core thread. Structures for making components such as sensors entirely out of tatted lace made with conductive and insulating threads are proposed. Lace e-textiles are presented as appending existing garments with an embedded fabric to add functionality rather than replacement, providing opportunities for soft, deformable open lace structure textile interactions. At the event, the author aims to connect global lacemaking traditions and solicit contributions from the integrated textile community by demonstrating the tatting technique and samples of work.

RaveNET connects people to music, enabling musicians to modulate sound using signals produced by their own bodies or the bodies of others. We present three wearable prototype nodes in an inaugural RaveNET performance: Bones, an anti-corset, uses capacitive sensing to detect stretch as the singer breathes. Tendons, a half-glove, measures galvanic skin response, pulse, and movement of the bass player’s hands. Veins, a cap with electrodes for surface electromyography, captures the facial expressions of the drum machine operator. These signals are filtered, normalized, and amplified to control voltage levels to modulate sound. Together, musicians and nodes form RaveNET and engage with shared liminal experiences. In designing these wearables and evaluating them in performance, we reflect on our creative processes, spaces between our different bodies, our presence and control within the network, and how this made us adapt our movements in order to be noticed and heard.

This paper presents a novel method for communicating environmental information in an engaging and memorable manner. Instead of traditional visual or written communication, our approach involves physical representation of data, using weight as the key element. Using food as a case study, we demonstrate the carbon footprint of food items through life-sized models that accurately reflect their actual weight. In an educational setting, students collectively discuss and estimate emissions for sample foods, followed by hands-on interaction. Each model’s weight mirrors its carbon footprint, from 50 grams for half a kilo of potatoes to 13 kilograms for half a kilo of beef. Early tests show a significant “Wow!” factor, particularly for high-emission foods. This tangible experience leaves a lasting impression, potentially influencing future choices. Our approach can extend to other areas like energy. The paper concludes with design recommendations for future work.

Exploring the boundaries/edges of analogue and digital making practices, Hand Thought is a hybrid making research project that originated from an ongoing interest in investigating the aesthetic opportunities that digital design and production technologies holds for the craftsperson. Alongside this motivation this project seeks to explore and demonstrate how a disruptive craft-based approach to engaging with digital making tools can act as a stimulus to reconsider the relationship between hand and machine, and our wider relationship with technologies and how we assess their role and value.

Through challenging the rational instrumentalist industrial design engineering understanding of what digital technologies are ‘good’ for, I propose a Digital Craft Ethos that aspires to: fidelity not accuracy, sensitive making not efficient manufacturing, affective not effective technologies, augmenting existing practices not replacing established ways of working, uniqueness not infinite replicability, and continual ‘hands-on’ interaction with tools not full automation.

Whispers from Silken Margins delves into the transformative silk production techniques of the Showa era, marking a shift from the traditional volumetric cocoon artistry to an avant-garde planar structure. Beyond its inherent promise of sustainability and preservation of both silkworm life and natural resources, this approach heralds a novel dimension in silk artistry. Meticulous studies on silk fiber structures, combined with their inherent stability and plasticity, intertwine with modern architectural methodologies. The resultant aesthetic carves a distinctive niche in three-dimensional space, culminating in an installation that draws inspiration from Archimedean solids. Such a design becomes emblematic of the silk’s metamorphic journey, encapsulating life’s vigor and the overarching creative spirit.

The Shadowplay installation facilitates creative and embodied interaction with a generative AI image diffusion model. The work aspires to facilitate a tangible experience of working with generative AI and produces striking, aesthetic, and provocative images exposing the edges of our creative relationships with this new class of technology. Exhibition-goers enter into a generative interplay between the probabilistic uncertainty of AI technologies, the familiarity of light, and the experimental playfulness of using one’s body to cast a shadow. By enabling a tangible interaction with this rapidly-evolving technology, we probe the quality and nature of AI-mediated imaginaries, while also providing a ‘lived’ means to experience the limits of its expressiveness and the inseparable ties to underlying training data. Shadowplay balances a provocative and critical stance on AI and creativity, produces a captivating stream of beautiful and striking imagery, and achieves this through an engaging, playful, and tangible interaction.

This paper discusses the artwork “Visions of Destruction”, with a primary conceptual focus on the Anthropocene, which is communicated through audience interaction and generative AI as artistic research methods. Gaze-based interaction transitions the audience from mere observers to agents of landscape transformation, fostering a profound, on-the-edge engagement with pressing issues such as climate change and planetary destruction. The paper looks into early references of interactive art history that deploy eye-tracking as a method for audience interaction, and presents recent AI-aided artworks that demonstrate interactive latent space navigation.

“‘イ’(1926) by BioLuminescent Bacteria” is a work created by printing an image on agar media using luminous bacteria as ink through digital silkscreen printing. The printed image is the‘イ(I)’ first displayed on a television CRT display by Kenjiro Takayanagi in 1926. Unlike conventional printed materials, this image has a temporal development. The luminous image gradually glows, then deteriorates and vanishes as the luminous bacteria undergo growth and die.

The author has been engaged in research and creation of works aimed at applying VFX used in video expressions to tangible objects. In this paper, we refer to the outcomes of such endeavors as Tangible VFX. The device developed for this purpose is capable of applying visual effects categorized under “bokeh” and “glitch,” commonly utilized in video expressions, to physical objects. This paper details the methodology that employs vibration actuators and LEDs to apply effects corresponding to bokeh and glitch directly onto tangible objects. Furthermore, two content pieces utilizing this device were created and showcased to five video creators, followed by a survey evaluation.

This piece of art / research / prototype work explores the simplicity of randomness embodied in a simple everyday piece of industrial equipment. A piece of 1960s industrial cast off that was abandoned and found buried in a forest in Belgium, broken in fragments and reconstructed this work is an assemblage of heritages – combining Japanese Kintusgi, electronics and modern generative sensibility.

The work is a generative installation sculpture that expresses higher stochastic functions though light, embedded in a shamelessly physical frame. The underlying motivation is to connect the viewer directly with the interplay with time that a one dimensional random function exhibits. This paper will discuss the work in three sections.

The “Sensitive Wing” is an EEG feedback installation, manifesting as an interactive wearable art piece. It offers a groundbreaking interpretation of the concept of “outward bound”, exemplifying the externalization of senses. By leveraging modern technology to showcase the profound EEG outputs from the human mind, it adeptly merges artificiality with nature. Stands on the edge of art and communication, echoing the complex dance between epochs, individuals, and cultures. It’s not merely an art piece but a bold exploration of the potential and challenges that arise from being on the fringe. Straddling the fine line between the omnipresent and the elusive, it ventures into the deep abyss of non-verbal interaction, questioning the boundaries between the artificial and natural, and underscoring the meeting point of past, present, and future.

By reasserting and reinterpreting a visually recognisable historical artefact – the ruff collars popular in 16th-century Europe, associated particularly with Queen Elizabeth I and her court – the installation breathes new life into history. It transforms this age-old symbol into an interactive medium, becoming a conduit of one’s internal milieu by responding to individual brain waves. This adaptation stands as a true testament to the limitless bounds of personal expression in a digital age.

VR SuperGun is a virtual reality telepresence solution for legacy arcade hardware. It is a networked immersive augmentation of the 1985 JAMMA arcade game standard allowing interactive remote streaming of arcade game boards.

The project was created to explore how the materiality of coin operated arcade cabinets can be effectively recreated in digital space, while keeping the perceived authenticity of playing direct from the original tangible arcade hardware intact.

VR SuperGun is also a prototype solution for the active play and display of classic arcade hardware in museum settings, with the aim of balancing preservation of the artefacts with access to their active play experience.

The Nalima is a self-resonating vibrotactile instrument, a hybrid digital-electro-acoustic system based around interaction with a membrane. It uses a novel method of Integrated Excitation to offer new musical affordances, and makes use of complexity analysis to shape the sonic and interactive behaviour of the instrument, pushing it into musical zones on the edge of chaos. The design and construction of the Nalima is described, along with the theoretical background in cybernetics, complexity theory and multistability.

This paper describes the interactive artwork “Between This and That is It”: An AI-augmented typewriter that blends several decades of computerized optimization of text production. The artwork employs an offline processing machine learning-based language model embedded in a typical office typewriter from the 1980s. Deliberately diverting from the pervasive conversational user interface, the interaction style is based on a well-defined minimalist pattern of complementing two user-supplied words with a third word that – in the model – lies in the middle of the other two. This constraint interaction invites to explore the limits of the semantic space of language models and poses questions related to the topology of meaning, with respect to truthfulness, biases, and cliches, by creating a semi-intelligent poetic co-performance involving the audience. This project seeks to foster a discussion on the creative collaboration between humans and AI within the constraints of machine learning technologies embedded into objects from the near past. The experience and the perception of the interaction are shaped by a hybrid space shared between the audience members and the AI, the mechanical limitations of the typewriter, the embedded mini-computer’s computational capacity, and the language model itself.

Mouja, or the Magnetic Ouja, is a performance combining real-time neural synthesis with two specifically designed instrument-scores. Because of the inherent arbitrariness and entanglement in the distribution of the sound features in the latent space, with neural synthesis models such as RAVE gesture, interface and sound appear as deeply intertwined, and the development of dedicated, embedded interfaces becomes critical to their understanding and exploration. Thales and Stacco provide an effective and poetic way of playing with and understanding latent dimensions in RAVE. They consist of two tangible interfaces based on permanent magnets, and through the interactions of their magnetic fields they engage the performer in a tactile dance of agencies, where the entanglements of the algorithm are experienced through a dynamic and embodied process of negotiation with the magnetic agency of the instrument-score.

The paper discusses the art project A Sigh – a machine with a rebellious and perfunctory personality that, despite having the capability to perform its assigned task of writing human-like diaries, refuses to do so in a proper manner. The pre-trained model in A Sigh was fine-tuned using over 16000 Chinese diaries. Despite the generative model’s ability to generate convincing diaries and a pen-plotter-like appearance, the machine outputs hot air. As a result, the diary entries it creates are merely hot air that leaves a blurry mark on the thermal paper. It presents the outcome of its mission to the audience in a manner that conveys a sense of unwillingness, perfunctoriness, and rebellion – akin to the gesture of a sigh. The project aims to investigate the anthropomorphic properties of the machines by imbuing them with a personality, pushing the boundaries of how machines are perceived. The project strategically positions itself at the edge of human-robot interaction, AI and installation art, which challenges preconceived notions about machines, and provides a new perspective on how we can interact with technology.

The Non-myth of the Noble Red is a tangible narrative that combines cardboard puppets with digital storytelling in an integrated physical storyworld. This narrative employs networked microcontrollers within the puppets, RFID readers, and sensors to enable interactivity. The narrative unfolds within three physical, interactive environments. Each environment can track the puppets’ positions and trigger audio fragments of the story. Performers use these puppets to navigate the narrative, interact with objects, and engage in a battle. This project explores the potential of puppets as virtual and physical avatars, emphasising interactive and collaborative storytelling. It seeks to look at the impact of these puppets and the potential emerging social dynamics during the narrative experience. The work presented here contributes to tangible narratives by emphasising an integrated physical storyworld (instead of a mapped one) and utilising puppets as storytelling artefacts that serve as both input devices and virtual/physical avatars, promoting immersive and collaborative storytelling.

We present our musical performance exploration of liminal spaces, which focuses on the interconnected physicality of bodies in music, using biosignals and gestural, movement-based interaction to shape live performances in novel ways. Physical movement is important in structuring performance, providing cues across musical ensembles, and non-verbally informing other musicians of intention. This is especially true for improvised work. Our performance involves the use of our musicking bodies to modulate audio signals. Three bespoke wearable nodes modulate the performance through control voltages (CV) and interface with specific technical aspects of our instruments and techniques: 1) an “anti-corset” that measures the expansion and resistance of Reed’s abdomen while singing, 2) an augmented glove that assists Strohmeier’s bass/guitar signal routing across his pedal board and modular setup, and 3) a cap-like device that captures Martinez-Missir’s subtle facial expressions as he manipulates his modular synthesizer and drum machine setup. Through these performances we explore the notion of control in musical improvised performance, the interconnectedness and communications between our ensemble as we learn to collaborate and interpret each others’ bodies in this novel interaction.

Fitness is important for maintaining good health. However, contemporary fitness culture – and the associated technology focused on a Quantified Self – is focused on optimising performance and achievement, hence taking away the focus on your health. As technology’s precision increases, there’s a risk that individuals neglect their bodily signals, possibly leading to overexertion or even loss of autonomy. This paper advocates for a shift from the Quantified to the Qualified Self in self-tracking. It explores the limitations of current design trends in Quantified Self-technology and offers an alternative approach. By introducing MOZA, a concept designed to address these limitations and combat issues within gym culture, this paper lays out guidelines for designing for the Qualified Self.

The number of furry companions (pets) in Taiwan has been increasing year by year, even surpassing the number of newborns. Taking pets for a walk is considered a basic responsibility for pet owners, but it has turned into a routine chore. Pet owners no longer find walking their pets enjoyable, and some even try to find various excuses to avoid going out. To address this issue, we have developed a smart social network for pets called “DOGO.”

The smart social network for pets is designed by integrating an app with smart electronic devices for pets. Its core value is to “Turn Every Outing Into A Game, Recording Each Unique Encounter.” The electronic device is attached to the pet’s body and accurately records their outdoor activities, which are then transmitted to the app. With gaming and social media as the design core, it increases the motivation and fun for pet owners when walking their dogs. Owners and their pets can complete various tasks together, making outdoor activities more entertaining and engaging. It’s as if they enter a fantastic universe where the real and virtual worlds blend, and, while having fun, pets can interact with other pets and their owners, promoting pet socialization and achieving the benefit of reduced allergies.

This paper introduces the study of AllyBot, an educational robot aimed at empowering Peruvian girls in STEAM fields. Focused on middle childhood, AllyBot promotes collaborative learning, embraces mistakes, and offers progressive experiences to foster self-esteem and confidence. Through group activities, customization, and positive feedback, it creates a supportive environment for girls to develop essential skills. The envisioned scenario integrates art, mathematics, science, and environmental topics from Peru’s National Curriculum. AllyBot’s user-assembled design, customizable components, and emotional expressions emphasize human-robot interaction dynamics, highlighting the importance of fostering self-efficacy through dialogue.

Embodied interaction is a significant direction within the realm of interaction design. Interaction design does not only enhance efficiency in people’s lives; it focuses on how humans and computer systems interact efficiently and effectively. In embodied interaction, natural interactive behaviors can be employed to enhance experiences. Interaction is now omnipresent; it serves as an intermediary to establish connections and provide reflection, and not just consolidated within products like smartphones and computers. The incorporation of interaction design into physical life, intertwining with human behaviors and spatial environments, poses our contemplation. Thus, under the backdrop of sustainable development goals (SDGs), we adopted the direction of embodied interaction and utilized metaphors to create a tangible installation. We aspire for urban explorers to establish connections with the city in terms of time and space dimensions through interactive experiences, thereby comprehending the multifaceted nature of the city. Throughout the design process, we validated and iterated our designs via prototyping and user testing.

In the era of globalization, the intertwining of cultures poses both opportunities and challenges. While cultural hybridization fosters intercultural exchange, it risks eroding cultural identities. This paper introduces WonderMap, initially centered on the Netherlands but with broader applications. This interactive map bridges local and international communities, empowering local voices, nurturing cross-cultural understanding, and fostering a global community. WonderMap integrates tangible maps, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and digital interfaces, allowing users to share narratives and foster genuine connections. Currently limited to specific cities, WonderMap envisions future upgrades, incorporating advanced technologies for precise location identification and immersive experiences. By balancing cultural diversity and global interconnectedness, WonderMap seeks to celebrate diverse cultures and promote mutual understanding in our interconnected world.

As the Internet develops, social networking and other communication tools have transformed people’s relationships into something fast, visible, and geographically huge. However, these communication tools have not expanded opportunities for acquainting oneself with neighbors outside one’s social network; rather, they have comparatively diminished occasions for interacting with unfamiliar neighbors by prioritizing communication with existing friends. Therefore, we invented the medium Ichiyo to increase the opportunities to think of neighbors walking along the same street or in the same neighborhood and to expand the imagination of those who pass by and those who used to be there. Thus, users can engage in indirect interaction. We used commercially available laser cutters to engrave QR codes on leaves that are naturally found in our living space to prevent environmental invasion. The QR codes lead to a communal space on the web where users can freely leave messages. By engraving QR codes, information can be virtually expanded to be presented. To get the feedback of Ichiyo, we let a total of several thousand people experience a new way of communication as a part of the exhibition “iii Exhibition 2022”, an art exhibition at the University of Tokyo. A total of more than 1,000 leaves engraved with QR codes were prepared and scattered at the exhibition site and along the road from the nearest station to the venue.