BioLIG: Functionalizing Biocomposites with Laser-induced Graphene for Bio-Rapid Prototyping of ElectronicsIn HCI, there is a rapidly growing interest in prototyping with conductive bio-based materials. However, the methods for conductive making of bio-based materials to suit the diverse needs of makers remain underexplored. We introduce BioLIG, a fabrication framework that functionalizes affordable and optimized bio-based substrates with a conventional CO2 laser to create highly conductive traces for sensors and circuits. To illustrate the framework, we first contribute five bio-based materials: three sheets (paper-like, fabric-like, plastic-like) and two paints (lignin-ink, chitosan-stain). A formal electrical characterization of our conductors highlight that they surpass activated charcoal, are on par with carbon black, and one ink is even comparable with the most common synthetic material used for laser-induced graphene. Then, we present three biodegradable coatings that ensure functionality and durability and balance protection with controlled degradation. Next, we build upon our sheets, paints, and coatings to form multifunctional biodegradable biocomposites and implement six end-to-end applications. Lastly, we define three strategies of how the framework supports a circular making culture. BioLIG enables accessible, fast, and ecologically minded prototyping, opening new directions for designing electronics with intentional impermanence and environmental integration.2025YLYuqing Lucy Li et al.Desktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationSustainable HCIUIST
ReMirrorFugue: Examining the Emotional Experience of Presence and (Illusory) Communications Across TimeThis paper examines how strategies for simulating social presence across distance can evoke a sense of presence and facilitate illusory interactions across time. We conducted a mixed-methods study with 28 participants, exploring their emotional experience of interacting with decade-old recorded piano performances on MirrorFugue—a player piano enhanced with life-sized projections of the pianist’s hands and body, creating the illusion of a virtual reflection playing the instrument. Data were collected via wearable sensors, questionnaires, and interviews. Results showed that participants felt a strong presence of past pianists, with some experiencing the illusion of two-way communication and an overall increase in connection. The emotional experience was significantly influenced by the participant’s relationship with the recorded pianist and the pianist's vital status. These findings suggest that telepresence technologies can foster connections with the past, offering spaces for memory recall, self-reflection, and a sense of “time travel.”2025XXXiao Xiao et al.Léonard de Vinci Pôle Universitaire, Research Center; MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyImmersion & Presence ResearchInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingCHI
An Accessible, Three-Axis Plotter for Enhancing Calligraphy Learning through Generated MotionAn Accessible, Three-Axis Plotter for Enhancing Calligraphy Learning through Generated Motion2024CFCathy Mengying Fang et al.MIT Media LabSpecial Education TechnologyShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingCHI
FibeRobo: Fabricating 4D Fiber Interfaces by Continuous Drawing of Temperature Tunable Liquid Crystal ElastomersWe present FibeRobo, a thermally-actuated liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber that can be embedded or structured into textiles and enable silent and responsive interactions with shape-changing, fiber-based interfaces. Three definitive properties distinguish FibeRobo from other actuating fibers explored in HCI. First, they exhibit rapid thermal self-reversing actuation with large displacements (~40%) without twisting. Second, we present a reproducible UV fiber drawing setup that produces hundreds of meters of fiber with a sub-millimeter diameter. Third, FibeRobo is fully compatible with existing textile manufacturing machinery such as weaving looms, embroidery, and industrial knitting machines. This paper contributes to developing temperature-responsive LCE fibers, a facile and scalable fabrication pipeline with optional heating element integration for digital control, mechanical characterization, and the establishment of higher hierarchical textile structures and design space. Finally, we introduce a set of demonstrations that illustrate the design space FibeRobo enables.2023JFJack Forman et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
Corsetto: A Kinesthetic Garment for Designing, Composing for, and Experiencing an Intersubjective Haptic VoiceWe present a novel intercorporeal experience – an intersubjective haptic voice. Through an autobiographical design inquiry, based on singing techniques from the classical opera tradition, we created Corsetto, a kinesthetic garment for transferring somatic reminiscents of vocal experience from an expert singer to a listener. We then composed haptic gestures enacted in the Corsetto, emulating upper-body movements of the live singer performing a piece by Morton Feldman named Three Voices. The gestures in the Corsetto added a haptics-based ‘fourth voice’ to the immersive opera performance. Finally, we invited audiences who were asked to wear Corsetto during live performances. Afterwards they engaged in micro-phenomenological interviews. The analysis revealed how the Corsetto managed to bridge inner and outer bodily sensations, creating a feeling of a shared intercorporeal experience, dissolving boundaries between listener, singer and performance. We propose that ‘intersubjective haptics’ can be a generative medium not only for singing performances, but other possible intersubjective experiences.2023OAOzgun Kilic Afsar et al.MIT, KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyHaptic WearablesInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingDance & Body Movement ComputingCHI
(Dis)Appearables: A Concept and Method for Actuated Tangible UIs to Appear and Disappear based on Stages(Dis)Appearables is an approach for actuated Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) to appear and disappear. This technique is supported by \textit{Stages}: physical platforms inspired by theatrical stages. Self-propelled TUI's autonomously move between front and back stage allowing them to dynamically appear and disappear from users' attention. This platform opens up a novel interaction design space for expressive displays with dynamic physical affordances. We demonstrate and explore this approach based on a proof-of-concept implementation using two-wheeled robots, and multiple stage design examples. We have implemented a stage design pipeline which allows users to plan and design stages that are composed with front and back stages, and transition portals such as trap doors or lifts. The pipeline includes control of the robots, which guides them on and off stage. With this proof-of-concept prototype, we demonstrated a range of applications including interactive mobility simulation, self re-configuring desktops, remote hockey, and storytelling/gaming. Inspired by theatrical stage designs, this is a new take on `controlling the existence of matter' for user experience design.2022KNKen Nakagaki et al.MIT Media LabShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsPrototyping & User TestingCHI
OmniFiber: Integrated Fluidic Fiber Actuators for Weaving Movement-based Interactions into the ‘Fabric of Everyday Life’Fiber -- a primitive yet ubiquitous form of material -- intertwines with our bodies and surroundings, from constructing our fibrous muscles that enable our movement, to forming fabrics that intimately interface with our skin. In soft robotics and advanced materials science research, actuated fibers are gaining interest as thin, flexible materials that can morph in response to external stimuli. In this paper, we build on fluidic artificial muscles research to develop OmniFiber - a soft, line-based material system for designing movement-based interactions. We devised actuated thin (ø 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 < 1.8 mm) fluidic fibers with integrated soft sensors that exhibit perceivably strong forces, up to 19 N at 0.5 MPa, and a high speed of linear actuation peaking at 150mm/s. These allow to flexibly weave them into everyday tangible interactions; including on-body haptic devices for embodied learning, synchronized tangible interfaces for remote communication, and robotic crafting for expressivity. The design of such interactive capabilities is supported by OmniFiber’s design space, accessible fabrication pipeline, and a fluidic I/O control system to bring omni-functional fluidic fibers to the HCI toolbox of interactive morphing materials.2021OAOzgun Kilic Afsar et al.Haptic WearablesShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
Self-deStaining Textiles: Designing Interactive Systems with Fabric, Stains and LightThis work introduces “destaining” as an interactive component for the HCI community. While staining happens unintentionally (e.g., spilling coffee), destaining can be used as an intentional design tool that selectively degrades stains on textiles. We explore the design space using silver doped titanium dioxide (TiO2/Ag), stains and light as a set of design primitives for interactive systems. We then developed replicable and accessible fabrication and testing methods that enable HCI researchers and designers to upgrade various fabrics to self-destaining textiles. Next, we demonstrate a Self-deStaining textile interface with embedded Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and moisture sensors that activate cleaning. Lastly, we showcase how the textile can be used in everyday objects such as self-cleaning clothes, a patterning station for phone cases, and accessories that change patterns and colors based on the user’s experiences.2021FBFiona Bell et al.University of Colorado, BoulderShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsDigital Art Installations & Interactive PerformanceCHI
UIST+CSCW: A Celebration of Systems Research in Collaborative and Social ComputingThis joint panel between UIST and CSCW brings together leading researchers at the intersection of the conferences—systems researchers in collaborative and social computing—to engage in a discussion and retrospective. Pairs of panelists will represent each decade since the founding of the conferences, sharing a brief retrospective that surveys the most influential papers of that decade, the zeitgeist of the problems that were popular that decade and why, and what each decade's work has to say to the decades that came before and after. The panel is intended as a space to celebrate advances in the field, and reflect on the burdens and opportunities that it faces ahead.2020MBMichael S. Bernstein et al.UIST+CSCW: A Celebration of Systems Research in Collaborative and Social ComputingCSCW
DefeXtiles: 3D Printing Quasi-Woven Fabric via Under-ExtrusionWe present DefeXtiles, a rapid and low-cost technique to produce tulle-like fabrics on unmodified fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers. The under-extrusion of filament is a common cause of print failure, resulting in objects with periodic gap defects. In this paper, we demonstrate that these defects can be finely controlled to quickly print thinner, more flexible textiles than previous approaches allow. Our approach allows hierarchical control from micrometer structure to decameter form and is compatible with all common 3D printing materials. In this paper, we introduce the mechanism of DefeXtiles, establish the design space through a set of primitives with detailed workflows, and characterize the mechanical properties of DefeXtiles printed with multiple materials and parameters. Finally, we demonstrate the interactive features and new use cases of our approach through a variety of applications, such as fashion design prototyping, interactive objects, aesthetic patterning, and single-print actuators.2020JFJack Forman et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
HERMITS: Dynamically Reconfiguring the Interactivity of Self-propelled TUIs with Mechanical Shell Add-onsWe introduce HERMITS, a modular interaction architecture for self-propelled Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) that incorporates physical add-ons, referred to as mechanical shells. The mechanical shell add-ons are intended to be dynamically reconfigured by utilizing the locomotion capability of self-propelled TUIs (e.g. wheeled TUIs, swarm UIs). We developed a proofof-concept system that demonstrates this novel architecture using two-wheeled robots and a variety of mechanical shell examples. These mechanical shell add-ons are passive physical attatchments that extend the primitive interactivities (e.g. shape, motion and light) of the self-propelled robots. The paper proposes the architectural design, interactive functionality of HERMITS as well as design primitives for mechanical shells. The paper also introduces the prototype implementation that is based on an off-the-shelf robotic toy with a modified docking mechanism. A range of applications is demonstrated with the prototype to motivate the collective and dynamically reconfigurable capability of the modular architecture, such as an interactive mobility simulation, an adaptive home/desk environment, and a story-telling narrative. Lastly we discuss the future research opportunity of HERMITS to enrich the interactivity and adaptability of actuated and shape changing TUIs.2020KNKen Nakagaki et al.Head-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)In-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsUIST
Venous Materials: Towards Interactive Fluidic MechanismsVenous Materials is a novel concept and approach of an interactive material utilizing fluidic channels. We present a design method for fluidic mechanisms that respond to deformation by mechanical inputs from the user, such as pressure and bending. We designed a set of primitive venous structures that act as embedded analog fluidic sensors, displaying flow and color change. In this paper, we consider the fluid as the medium to drive tangible information triggered by deformation, and at the same time, to function as a responsive display of that information. To provide users with a simple way to create and validate designs of fluidic structures, we built a software platform and design tool UI. This design tool allows users to quickly design the geometry, and simulate the flow with intended mechanical force dynamically. We present a range of applications that demonstrate how Venous Materials can be utilized to augment interactivity of everyday physical objects.2020HMHila Mor et al.Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingCHI