KiriInflate: Fabricating Cross-Scale Inflatables with Large-Magnitude Contraction and Tunable Stretchability for Tangible InteractionWe present KiriInflate, a rapid, precise, and accessible fabrication method for creating stretchable inflatables with Kirigami structures. These inflatables, fabricated at multiple scales (from fingernail-sized to body-sized), exhibit rapid, large contraction upon inflation up to 83.5% and provide tunable stretchability. Our fabrication process leverages the electrostatic adhesion of plastic films and an off-the-shelf laser cutter to simultaneously cut and fuse the edges of inflatables, achieving ultra-narrow seals (< 0.125 mm). Our structural design enables versatile 3D morphing upon inflation and tunable stretch behavior, with experimental studies offering design guidelines for key geometric parameters. A series of applications, including an eyelid assistive device, a multi-mode game handle, a dynamic elbow brace, and breathable lamps, highlight its potential for diverse interaction in HCI.2025YYYue Yang et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
SCENIC: A Location-based System to Foster Cognitive Development in Children During Car RidesCar-riding is common for children in modern life, and given the repetitive nature of daily commutes, they often feel bored, which in turn leads them to rely on electronic devices for entertainment. Meanwhile, the rich and rapidly changing scenery outside the car naturally attracts children’s curiosity, providing abundant resources for cognitive development. Our formative study reveals that parents' support during car rides is often fleeting, as accompanying adults may struggle to consistently provide effective guidance to nurture children's innate curiosity. Therefore, we propose SCENIC, an interactive system that guides children aged 6-11 to better perceive the external environment through location-based cognitive development strategies. Specifically, we built upon the experiential approaches used by parents, culminating in the formulation of six cognitive development strategies integrated into SCENIC. Additionally, considering the repetitive nature of car commutes, SCENIC incorporates features of dynamic POI selection and journey gallery generation to improve children's engagement. We evaluated the quality of SCENIC's generated content (N=21) and conducted an in-situ user evaluation involving seven families and ten children. Study findings suggest that SCENIC can enhance the car riding experience for children and help them better perceive the external environment through cognitive development strategies.2025LCLiuqing Chen et al.Motion Sickness & Passenger ExperienceMicromobility (E-bike, E-scooter) InteractionUniversal & Inclusive DesignUIST
Touch-n-Curl: Designing and Constructing Skeletal Form through 3D Printing Flattened Zipper AssemblyIn the realm of digital fabrication, skeletal structures offer lightweight, cost-effective solutions for art installation, rapid fabrication, and large-scale construction. However, existing 3D printing methods for skeletal structures often require support structures, resulting in prolonged print time and excessive material consumption. This paper presents Touch-n-Curl, a design and construction system for rapidly prototyping 3D skeletal curved structures, covering scales from millimeters to meters, by printing 2D zipper assemblies with interlocking mechanisms using conventional 3D printers. This design process is made possible by a computational method that unrolls a 3D model into a 2D branch assembly while minimizing branch intersections, making the fabrication process both efficient and robust. A parametric design tool is developed to support this inverse design workflow, instantly generating 2D zippers and offering a preview of the 3D skeletal assembly. To ensure users can effectively utilize the system, we implement methods such as edge disjoining and tree rectification to accommodate closed mesh imports in addition to opened trees at a wide range of complexity measured by curvature and torsion. The result of this integrated and accessible workflow is evaluated in fabrication speed, mechanical strength, and shape-matching accuracy, and its versatility is showcased through a series of demonstrations.2025DPDeying Pan et al.Desktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCircuit Making & Hardware PrototypingUIST
An Exploratory Study on How AI Awareness Impacts Human-AI Design CollaborationThe collaborative design process is intrinsically complicated and dynamic, and researchers have long been exploring how to enhance efficiency in this process. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology evolves, it has been widely used as a design tool and exhibited the potential as a design collaborator. Nevertheless, problems concerning how designers should communicate with AI in collaborative design remain unsolved. To address this research gap, we referred to how designers communicate fluently in human-human design collaboration, and found awareness to be an important ability for facilitating communication by understanding their collaborators and current situation. However, previous research mainly studied and supported human awareness, the possible impact AI awareness would bring to the human-AI collaborative design process, and the way to realize AI awareness remain unknown. In this study, we explored how AI awareness will impact human-AI collaboration through a Wizard-of-Oz experiment. Both quantitative and qualitative results supported that enabling AI to have awareness can enhance the communication fluidity between human and AI, thus enhancing collaboration efficiency. We further discussed the results and concluded design implications for future human-AI collaborative design systems.2025ZCZhuoyi Cheng et al.Human-LLM CollaborationAI-Assisted Decision-Making & AutomationIUI
I-Card: A Generative AI-Supported Intelligent Design Method Card DeckA design method card deck helps designers understand and provoke thinking by presenting each method in a simple format and allow designers to switch between methods seamlessly by maintaining the same simple format across the deck. However, recent observations have shown designers hesitate to use a card deck due to the lack of support, while other tools have provided identified support with generative AI. Through a formative study, we identified the specific support designers need when applying the design method cards and intentions in integrating generative AI. Accordingly, we developed the intelligent design method card deck, I-Card, which integrates generative AI to provide applicable design methods, design knowledge and data support, and interactive and dynamic support. A user study demonstrates that I-Card improved the design efficiency and applicability by offering personalized guidance, enhanced decision-making with comprehensive data generation and provided more design inspiration via interactive support.2025LCLiuqing Chen et al.Zhejiang University, College of Computer Science and TechnologyGenerative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Prototyping & User TestingCHI
FusionProtor: A Mixed-Prototype Tool for Component-level Physical-to-Virtual 3D Transition and SimulationDeveloping and simulating 3D prototypes is crucial in product conceptual design for ideation and presentation. Traditional methods often keep physical and virtual prototypes separate, leading to a disjointed prototype workflow. In addition, acquiring high-fidelity prototypes is time-consuming and resource-intensive, distracting designers from creative exploration. Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and extended reality (XR) provided new solutions for rapid prototype transition and mixed simulation. We conducted a formative study to understand current challenges in the traditional prototype process and explore how to effectively utilize GAI and XR ability in prototype. Then we introduced FusionProtor, a mixed-prototype tool for component-level 3D prototype transition and simulation. We proposed a step-by-step generation pipeline in FusionProtor, effectively transiting 3D prototypes from physical to virtual and low- to high-fidelity for rapid ideation and iteration. We also innovated a component-level 3D creation method and applied it in XR environment for the mixed-prototype presentation and interaction. We conducted technical and user experiments to verify FusionProtor’s usability in supporting diverse designs. Our results verified that it achieved a seamless workflow between physical and virtual domains, enhancing efficiency and promoting ideation. We also explored the effect of mixed interaction on design and critically discussed its best practices for HCI community.2025HZHongbo ZHANG et al.Zhejiang University3D Modeling & AnimationCircuit Making & Hardware PrototypingCHI
Ink Restorer: Virtual Restoration of Ancient Chinese Paintings Inheriting Traditional Restoration ProcessesThe restoration of ancient Chinese paintings plays an essential role in protection and inheritance of Asian culture. A traditional restoration process consists of four stages: Xi (washing), Jie (separating), Bu (mending), and Quan (completing). However, it is difficult for the public to experience this process due to high professional requirement and time consumption. We conduct a questionnaire survey and interview experts in our formative study. The questionnaire result shows the public express strong interest in virtual restoration. Experts believe virtual restoration is an experience valuable for the public. We introduce Ink-Restorer, a tool designed for experiencing virtual restoration for ancient paintings. Its design follows the traditional restoration process, and it adopts image segmentation and generation techniques to simplify detailed restoration for users. We recruit 60 users to evaluate Ink-Restorer and invite experts to evaluate restoration results. Ink-Restorer significantly improves user experience, cultural understanding, and restoration quality.2025YZYing Zhang et al.School of Software Technology, Zhejiang UniversityMuseum & Cultural Heritage DigitizationFood Culture & Food InteractionCHI
CoExploreDS: Framing and Advancing Collaborative Design Space Exploration Between Human and AIIn product design, effective design space exploration (DSE) is crucial for generating high-quality design ideas, requiring designers to possess broad knowledge and balance various constraints. As large-scale models thrive, AI has become an indispensable design collaborator by providing cross-domain knowledge and assistance with complex reasoning. To facilitate collaborative DSE between designers and AI, we frame and advance the design process through the problem-solution co-evolution model and design reasoning methods. A formative study was conducted to identify key strategies for the implementation. Then we developed CoExploreDS, a system that formalizes problems and solutions emerging in the human-AI collaborative design space into nodes. Using four reasoning methods, this system dynamically generates suggestions based on the ongoing design process. User studies confirmed that CoExploreDS significantly improves design quality and the human-AI collaboration experience.2025PCPei Chen et al.Zhejiang UniversityHuman-LLM CollaborationComputational Methods in HCICHI
TH-Wood: Developing Thermo-Hygro-Coordinating Driven Wood Actuators to Enhance Human-Nature InteractionWood has become increasingly applied in shape-changing interfaces for its eco-friendly and smart responsive properties, while its applications face challenges as it remains primarily driven by humidity. We propose TH-Wood, a biodegradable actuator system composed of wood veneer and microbial polymers, driven by both temperature and humidity, and capable of functioning in complex outdoor environments. This dual-factor-driven approach enhances the sensing and response channels, allowing for more sophisticated coordinating control methods. To assist in designing and utilizing the system more effectively, we developed a structure library inspired by dynamic plant forms, conducted extensive technical evaluations, created an educational platform accessible to users, and provided a design tool for deformation adjustments and behavior previews. Finally, several ecological applications demonstrate the potential of TH-Wood to significantly enhance human interaction with natural environments and expand the boundaries of human-nature relationships.2025GWGuanyun Wang et al.Zhejiang UniversityShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsHuman-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)CHI
X-Hair: 3D Printing Hair-like Structures with Multi-form, Multi-property and Multi-functionIn this paper, we present X-Hair, a method that enables 3D-printed hair with various forms, properties, and functions. We developed a two-step suspend printing strategy to fabricate hair-like structures in different forms (e.g. fluff, bristle, barb) by adjusting parameters including Extrusion Length Ratio and Total Length. Moreover, a design tool is also established for users to customize hair-like structures with various properties (e.g. pointy, stiff, soft) on imported 3D models, which virtually shows the results for previewing and generates G-code files for 3D printing. We demonstrate the design space of X-Hair and evaluate the properties of them with different parameters. Through a series of applications with hair-like structures, we validate X-hair's practical usage of biomimicry, decoration, heat preservation, adhesion, and haptic interaction.2024GWGuanyun Wang et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationUIST
StructCurves: Interlocking Block-Based Line StructuresWe present a new class of curved block-based line structures whose component chains are flexible when separated, and provably rigid when assembled together into an interlocking double chain. The joints are inspired by traditional zippers, where a binding fabric or mesh connects individual teeth. Unlike traditional zippers, the joint design produces a rigid interlock with programmable curvature. This allows fairly strong curved structures to be built out of easily stored flexible chains. In this paper, we introduce a pipeline for generating these curved structures using a novel block design template based on revolute joints. Mesh embedded in these structures maintains block spacing and assembly order. We evaluate the rigidity of the curved structures through mechanical performance testing and demonstrate several applications.2024ZSZezhou Sun et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
ProtoDreamer: A Mixed-prototype Tool Combining Physical Model and Generative AI to Support Conceptual DesignPrototyping serves as a critical phase in the industrial conceptual design process, enabling exploration of problem space and identification of solutions. Recent advancements in large-scale generative models have enabled AI to become a co-creator in this process. However, designers often consider generative AI challenging due to the necessity to follow computer-centered interaction rules, diverging from their familiar design materials and languages. Physical prototype is a commonly used design method, offering unique benefits in prototype process, such as intuitive understanding and tangible testing. In this study, we propose ProtoDreamer, a mixed-prototype tool that synergizes generative AI with physical prototype to support conceptual design. ProtoDreamer allows designers to construct preliminary prototypes using physical materials, while AI recognizes these forms and vocal inputs to generate diverse design alternatives. This tool empowers designers to tangibly interact with prototypes, intuitively convey design intentions to AI, and continuously draw inspiration from the generated artifacts. An evaluation study confirms ProtoDreamer’s utility and strengths in time efficiency, creativity support, defects exposure, and detailed thinking facilitation.2024HZHongbo ZHANG et al.Generative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Prototyping & User TestingUIST
AutoSpark: Supporting Automobile Appearance Design Ideation with Kansei Engineering and Generative AIRapid creation of novel product appearance designs that align with consumer emotional requirements poses a significant challenge. Text-to-image models, with their excellent image generation capabilities, have demonstrated potential in providing inspiration to designers. However, designers still encounter issues including aligning emotional needs, expressing design intentions, and comprehending generated outcomes in practical applications. To address these challenges, we introduce AutoSpark, an interactive system that integrates Kansei Engineering and generative AI to provide creativity support for designers in creating automobile appearance designs that meet emotional needs. AutoSpark employs a Kansei Engineering engine powered by generative AI and a semantic network to assist designers in emotional need alignment, design intention expression, and prompt crafting. It also facilitates designers' understanding and iteration of generated results through fine-grained image-image similarity comparisons and text-image relevance assessments. The design-thinking map within its interface aids in managing the design process. Our user study indicates that AutoSpark effectively aids designers in producing designs that are more aligned with emotional needs and of higher quality compared to a baseline system, while also enhancing the designers' experience in the human-AI co-creation process.2024LCLiuqing Chen et al.Generative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Motor Impairment Assistive Input TechnologiesUIST
MagneDot: Integrated Fabrication and Actuation Methods of Dot-Based Magnetic Shape DisplaysThis paper presents MagneDot, a novel method for making interactive magnetic shape displays through an integrated fabrication process. Magnetic soft materials can potentially create fast, responsive morphing structures for interactions. However, novice users and designers typically do not have access to sophisticated equipment and materials or cannot afford heavy labor to create interactive objects based on this material. Modified from an open-source 3D printer, the fabrication system of MagneDot integrates the processes of mold-making, pneumatic extrusion, magnetization, and actuation, using cost-effective materials only. By providing a design tool, MagneDot allows users to generate G-codes for fabricating and actuating displays of various morphing effects. Finally, a series of design examples demonstrate the possibilities of shape displays enabled by MagneDot.2024LSLingyun Sun et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationShape-Changing Materials & 4D PrintingUIST
KiPneu: Designing a Constructive Pneumatic Platform for Biomimicry Learning in STEAM EducationBiomimicry, a methodology adapted from nature, always inspires optimum solutions and innovative technologies in human history. To get children interested in, excited about, and inspired by biomimicry, we introduce KiPneu, a robotic platform that facilitates biomimicry education through hands-on, solution-oriented learning and a digital learning environment. KiPneu allows children to mimic flexible animal locomotion, like fish swimming or worm squirming, using low-cost building blocks and non-electrical pneumatic actuators. We provide five types of non-electrical tangible valves to adjust robot motion characteristics, such as direction and speed, through engaging tangible programming. Additionally, to facilitate the whole learning process, KiPneu comes with interactive instructional interface that visualize and simulate the pneumatic system. To validate KiPneu's educational efficacy, we conducted a three-day workshop with 21 children aged 5-12. Pre-and-post surveys revealed KiPneu not only enhanced their understanding of animal locomotion mechanisms but also spurred interest in creative construction using acquired knowledge.2024GWGuanyun Wang et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsEye Tracking & Gaze InteractionSTEM Education & Science CommunicationDIS
SimUser: Generating Usability Feedback by Simulating Various Users Interacting with Mobile ApplicationsThe conflict between the rapid iteration demand of prototyping and the time-consuming nature of user tests has led researchers to adopt AI methods to identify usability issues. However, these AI-driven methods concentrate on evaluating the feasibility of a system, while often overlooking the influence of specified user characteristics and usage contexts. Our work proposes a tool named SimUser based on large language models (LLMs) with the Chain-of-Thought structure and user modeling method. It generates usability feedback by simulating the interaction between users and applications, which is influenced by user characteristics and contextual factors. The empirical study (48 human users and 21 designers) validated that in the context of a simple smartwatch interface, SimUser could generate heuristic usability feedback with the similarity varying from 35.7% to 100% according to the user groups and usability category. Our work provides insights into simulating users by LLM to improve future design activities.2024WXWei Xiang et al.Zhejiang UniversityHuman-LLM CollaborationPrototyping & User TestingCHI
SnapInflatables: Designing Inflatables with Snap-through Instability for Responsive InteractionSnap-through instability, like the rapid closure of the Venus flytrap, is gaining attention in robotics and HCI. It offers rapid shape reconfiguration, self-sensing, actuation, and enhanced haptic feedback. However, conventional snap-through structures face limitations in fabrication efficiency, scale, and tunability. We introduce SnapInflatables, enabling safe, multi-scale interaction with adjustable sensitivity and force reactions, utilizing the snap-through instability of inflatables. We designed six types of heat-sealing structures enabling versatile snap-through passive motion of inflatables with diverse reaction and trigger directions. A block structure enables ultra-sensitive states for rapid energy release and force amplification. The motion range is facilitated by geometry parameters, while force feedback properties are tunable through internal pressure settings. Based on experiments, we developed a design tool for creating desired inflatable snap-through shapes and motions, offering previews and inflation simulations. Example applications, including a self-locking medical stretcher, interactive animals, and a bounce button, demonstrate enhanced passive interaction with inflatables.2024YYYue Yang et al.Zhejiang UniversityShape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsCHI
BIDTrainer: An LLMs-driven Education Tool for Enhancing the Understanding and Reasoning in Bio-inspired DesignBio-inspired design (BID) fosters innovative solutions in engineering by drawing inspiration from biology. Learning BID is crucial for developing multidisciplinary innovation skills of designers and engineers. While current BID education has attempted to enhance learners' understanding and analogical reasoning skills in BID, it often relies much on teachers' expertise. When learners turn to learn independently through some educational tools, there are challenges in understanding and reasoning practice in such complex multidisciplinary environment, as well as evaluating learning outcomes comprehensively. Addressing these challenges, we introduce a Large Language Models (LLMs)-driven BID education method based on a structured ontology, as well as three strategies: enhancing understanding through LLMs-enpowered "learning by asking", assisting reasoning by providing hints and feedback, and assessing learning outcomes through benchmarking against existing BID knowledge. Implementing the method, we developed BIDTrainer, an interactive BID education tool. User studies indicate that learners using BIDTrainer understood BID cases better, reason faster with higher interactivity than the baseline, and BIDTrainer assessed the learning outcomes consistent with experts.2024LCLiuqing Chen et al.Zhejiang UniversityHuman-LLM CollaborationSTEM Education & Science CommunicationCHI
ChatScratch: An AI-Augmented System Toward Autonomous Visual Programming Learning for Children Aged 6-12As Computational Thinking (CT) continues to permeate younger age groups in K-12 education, established CT platforms such as Scratch face challenges in catering to these younger learners, particularly those in the elementary school (ages 6-12). Through formative investigation with Scratch experts, we uncover three key obstacles to children's autonomous Scratch learning: artist's block in project planning, bounded creativity in asset creation, and inadequate coding guidance during implementation. To address these barriers, we introduce ChatScratch, an AI-augmented system to facilitate autonomous programming learning for young children. ChatScratch employs structured interactive storyboards and visual cues to overcome artist's block, integrates digital drawing and advanced image generation technologies to elevate creativity, and leverages Scratch-specialized Large Language Models (LLMs) for professional coding guidance. Our study shows that, compared to Scratch, ChatScratch efficiently fosters autonomous programming learning, and contributes to the creation of high-quality, personally meaningful Scratch projects for children.2024LCLiuqing Chen et al.Zhejiang UniversityHuman-LLM CollaborationProgramming Education & Computational ThinkingK-12 Digital Education ToolsCHI
Touch-n-Go: Designing and Fabricating Touch Fastening Structures by FDM 3D PrintingTouch fastening structures are widely used to quickly assemble and disassemble an object with multiple parts. However, such structures are under-explored in the context of additive manufacturing for personal fabrication. We proposed Touch-n-Go, a method for designing touch-fastening structures with customizable mechanical properties such as holding capacities or shearing strength. Additionally, the customization of fastener patterns enables both static and dynamic connections, and the dynamic connections grant the freedom of rotation and translation. To facilitate the customization process, we developed a design tool that allows the integration of fastening structures on the surface of a 3D-printed object. Furthermore, we validated the fastening properties of Touch-n-Go through a series of experiments, and the result exhibits performances that match or even surpass off-the-shelf fasteners. Finally, we demonstrated the implementation of Touch-n-Go through a collection of applications.2024LSLingyun Sun et al.Zhejiang UniversityDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCustomizable & Personalized ObjectsCHI