Digital Play in Nature: A Study of Digital Play Installations from a Nature Play PerspectiveWhile digital play installations for outdoor use are becoming more common, little work has been done on how such technology shapes play in nature-rich environments. We performed a study of children’s self-directed play with access to nature as well as digital installations. Our findings show that play with nature materials and digital installations emerged in different ways. Most notably, imaginative play was observed emerging in close interaction with nature, while the digital installations mostly inspired rule-based play. Furthermore, engagement with digital installations typically involved an active exploration phase which was not observed with nature materials. Nature materials instead engaged the children’s senses more immediately, and often offered opportunities for collection and consumption, paving way for fluent play activities roaming large areas. We argue that these differences motivate rethinking the design of digital installations for play in nature and suggest guidelines to this purpose.2025AWAnnika Waern et al.Dept of Informatics and Media, Uppsala UniversityInteractive Narrative & Immersive StorytellingFood Culture & Food InteractionCHI
Towards Personalized Physiotherapy through Interactive Machine Learning: A Conceptual Infrastructure Design for In-Clinic and Out-of-Clinic Support Machine learning (ML) is increasingly used in healthcare practices, due to its potential to support personalization, diagnostic and prediction, automatization, and increase effectiveness. In physiotherapy, most existing ML solutions suggest replacing the physiotherapist, neglecting the complexity of their skills and practice. We articulate an alternative to the design of ML technology for physiotherapy: one that emphasizes the relational aspects of the practice and offers personalized support to physiotherapists and patients alike. Based on domain studies and design explorations with physiotherapists, interaction designers and ML experts, we present 1) insights on physiotherapy's in-clinic and out-of-clinic looped structure, 2) opportunities and requirements to integrate ML in that loop, and 3) a conceptual interactive ML-based infrastructure that exploits those opportunities. Our work widens current ML developmental aims for physiotherapy, proposing a vision that encodes sustainable sociotechnical relationships in healthcare practices.2025LVLaia Turmo Vidal et al.KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Media Technology and Interaction DesignTelemedicine & Remote Patient MonitoringSurgical Assistance & Medical TrainingCHI
Toward Feminist Ways of Sensing the Menstruating BodyBodily fluids associated with the menstruating body are often disregarded in the design of menstrual-tracking technologies despite their potential to provide valuable knowledge about the menstrual cycle. We prototyped a finger-worn sensor that measures vaginal fluid conductivity, which fluctuates throughout the cycle, and brought it into conversation with people through two speculative workshops (18 people), four fabrication workshops (17 people), and a deployment study where participants brought the sensor into their daily lives (7 people). We unpack that taking a material and sensory approach to intimate tracking nurtures a feminist way of sensing while creating tensions around how we want to know our bodies—tensions around how, where, and when to touch the body, hygiene, data storage, interpretation practices, and labor. With epistemological commitments to feminist materialist and posthuman theory, we invite designers to embrace these tensions.2025NWNadia Campo Woytuk et al.KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyCognitive Impairment & Neurodiversity (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia)Universal & Inclusive DesignReproductive & Women's HealthCHI
Imagining with the Body: Speculative Designs for Women's Embodied Empowerment in Feminist Self-Defense Feminist self-defense combines physical self-defense with mental strength exercises through role-playing scenarios. It aims to challenge limiting beliefs about women’s abilities to respond to interpersonal violence. We present the experiences from feminist self-defense classes in Sweden and the results of a set of speculative designs that combined contribute to imagine how technology could play a role in experiencing these holistic practices. The goal is to illustrate the potential of embodied interaction design to empower beginner feminist self-defense practitioners. To do so, the study was conducted via two methods: semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, and a participatory speculative design workshop with novice practitioners. The speculative concepts demonstrate how design can support the practice of feminist self-defense. Through this study we contribute to the corpus of embodied design interventions, in this case combining design for bodily movements with feminist consciousness raising in relation to the topic of gender-based violence.2025BNBojana Nikolovska et al.Uppsala University, Department of Informatics and MediaParticipatory DesignDance & Body Movement ComputingCHI
Identifying Critical Points of Departure for the Design of Self-Fashioning TechnologiesDesigning technologies that clothe, adorn, or are otherwise placed on the body raises questions concerning the role they will play in dressing ourselves. We situate self-fashioning – or the process through which we stylise and present our bodies – as a complex practice where a series of social, material, and contextual factors shape how we present ourselves. Informed by reflective discussions and projective design tools, we contribute three critical points of departure for self-fashioning technologies: (i) Purposeful examining discomfort as an ongoing phenomenon, (ii) Supporting mimesis and visibility as qualities to be negotiated, and (iii) Envisioning the multiplicity of the body. We call for the design community to help devise fashionable technologies that are sensitive, caring, and responsive to the complexities of fashioning our bodies.2025RCRebeca Blanco Cardozo et al.KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyHaptic WearablesInclusive DesignCHI
A Case for Diverse Social Robot Identity Performance in EducationEducational outcomes for students belonging to disadvantaged social identities are unavoidably influenced by overlapping systems of inequity which arise along lines such as gender, ethnicity, and age. Robot platforms such as Furhat require designers to select features which are interpreted by users as these same kinds of social identity. Prior work has posited that social robots might be intentionally designed to leverage these social identities in a "norm-breaking" fashion with the aim of disrupting social stereotypes in STEM education. However, research in HRI has been largely limited to the examination of gender only. We present a 2x2, between-subjects study in which 161 participants aged 9-12 are shown a robot-delivered lecture presented by a group of three separate robot personas with varying gender and ethnicity performances. We find that participants place greater trust in the persona groups with high gender diversity. Incorporating ethnic diversity seems to have little impact on our quantitative interaction metrics, however we do find evidence to suggest diversity in robots' language capabilities may be important for trustworthiness. In all, the study contributes nuance to the discussions on the implications of (norm-breaking) social identity performance when using robots to pursue more equitable STEM education.2024LMLux Miranda et al.Social Robot InteractionRobots in Education & HealthcareCommunity Engagement & Civic TechnologyHRI
The Human Behind the Robot: Rethinking the Low Social Status of Service RobotsRobots in our society are commonly perceived as subordinate servants with a lower social status than humans. This often leads to humans prioritizing themselves during conflict situations. This becomes problematic when robots start to directly represent humans as proxies if people do not think of the human operator behind them. This could be considered a cognitive bias of human representation in HRI. To explore the extent of this problem, we conducted a user study featuring several conflict situations. Participants granted more priority to the robot when the human representation was visible. This paper explores the societal consequences and emerging inequities such as potentially deprioritizing humans by deprioritizing a robot in certain situations. Possible strategies to address potential negative consequences are discussed on a design level while acknowledging that a societal change in how we perceive and treat robots that represent humans might be necessary.2024FBFranziska Babel et al.Privacy by Design & User ControlSocial Robot InteractionHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC)HRI
Anticipating the Use of Robots in Domestic Violence: A Typology of Robot Facilitated Abuse to Support Risk Assessment and Mitigation in Human-Robot InteractionDomestic abuse research demonstrates that perpetrators are agile in finding new ways to coerce and to consolidate their control. They may leverage loved ones or cherished objects, and are increasingly exploiting/subverting what have become everyday ``smart" technologies. Robots sit at the intersection of these categories: they bring together multiple digital and assistive functionalities in an (anthropomorphised) physical body, oftentimes designed explicitly to take on a social companionship role. We present a typology of robot facilitated abuse based on these unique affordances, designed to support systematic risk assessment, mitigation and design work. Whilst we focus on domestic abuse, our typology is relevant for any application context where there exist significant power differentials between different robot users, e.g. in the school or workplace, between carers and the vulnerable, elderly and disabled and/or in institutions which facilitate intimate relations of care.2024KWKatie Winkle et al.Social Robot InteractionEmpowerment of Marginalized GroupsHRI
Tactful Feminist Sensing: Designing for Touching Vaginal FluidsObserving the texture, color, and conductivity of cervical mucus has the potential to support menstrual cycle and fertility tracking, generating a layer of rich bodily, tactile/haptic knowledge in addition to other collected data, such as cycle length or body temperature. This pictorial presents design explorations, four design concepts, and one prototype of a sensor for measuring the conductivity of cervical mucus in vaginal fluids. We present these as instances in the design space for sensing intimate bodily fluids and provide discussions on the proximities, visibilities, and temporalities of these sensing technologies. We offer the unfolding concept of “tactful feminist sensing”, opening up for further engagements with intimate care that attend to the multiplicity and fleshiness of bodies.2023NWNadia Campo Woytuk et al.Reproductive & Women's HealthDiet Tracking & Nutrition ManagementDIS
Design Resources in Movement-based Design Methods: a Practice-based CharacterizationMovement-based design methods are increasingly adopted to help design rich embodied experiences. While there are well-known methods in the field, there is no systematic overview to help designers choose among them, adapt them, or create their own. We collected 41 methods used by movement design researchers and employed a practice-based, bottom-up approach to analyze and characterize their properties. We found 17 categories and arranged them into five main groups: Design Resources, Activities, Delivery, Framing, and Context. In this paper, we describe these groups in general and then focus on Design Resources containing the categories of Movement, Space, and Objects. We ground the characterization with examples from empirical material provided by the design researchers and references to previous work. Additionally, we share recommendations and action points to bring these into practice. This work can help novice and seasoned design researchers who want to employ movement-based design methods in their practice.2023JVJosé Manuel Vega-Cebrián et al.Full-Body Interaction & Embodied InputDance & Body Movement ComputingDIS
Feminist Human-Robot Interaction: Disentangling Power, Principles and Practice for Better, More Ethical HRIHuman-Robot Interaction (HRI) is inherently a human-centric field of technology. The role of feminist theories in related fields (e.g. Human-Computer Interaction, Data Science) are taken as a starting point to present a vision for Feminist HRI which can support better, more ethical HRI practice everyday, as well as a more activist research and design stance. We first define feminist design for an HRI audience and use a set of feminist principles from neighboring fields to examine existent HRI literature, showing the progress that has been made already alongside some additional potential ways forward. Following this we identify a set of reflexive questions to be posed throughout the HRI design, research and development pipeline, encouraging a sensitivity to power and to individuals' goals and values. Importantly, we do not look to present a definitive, fixed notion of Feminist HRI, but rather demonstrate the ways in which bringing feminist principles to our field can lead to better, more ethical HRI, and to discuss how we, the HRI community, might do this in practice.2023KWKatie Winkle et al.Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)Gender & Race Issues in HCITechnology Ethics & Critical HCIHRI
AirLogic: Embedding Pneumatic Computation and I/O in 3D Models to Fabricate Electronics-Free Interactive ObjectsResearchers have developed various tools and techniques towards the vision of on-demand fabrication of custom, interactive devices. Recent work has 3D-printed artefacts like speakers, electromagnetic actuators, and hydraulic robots. However, these are non-trivial to instantiate as they require post-fabrication mechanical-- or electronic assembly. We introduce AirLogic: a technique to create electronics-free, interactive objects by embedding pneumatic input, logic processing, and output widgets in 3D-printable models. AirLogic devices can perform basic computation on user inputs and create visible, audible, or haptic feedback; yet they do not require electronic circuits, physical assembly, or resetting between uses. Our library of 13 exemplar widgets can embed \al-style computational capabilities in existing 3D models. We evaluate our widgets' performance---quantifying the loss of airflow (1) in each widget type, (2) based on printing orientation, and (3) from internal object geometry. Finally, we present five applications that illustrate AirLogic's potential.2022VSValkyrie Savage et al.Desktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCircuit Making & Hardware PrototypingUIST
Visualizing Instructions for Physical Training: Exploring Visual Cues to Support Movement Learning from Instructional VideosInstructional videos for physical training have gained popularity in recent years among sport and fitness practitioners, due to the proliferation of affordable and ubiquitous forms of online training. Yet, learning movement this way poses challenges: lack of feedback and personalised instructions, and having to rely on personal imitation capacity to learn movements. We address some of these challenges by exploring visual cues’ potential to help people imitate movements from instructional videos. With a Research through Design approach, focused on strength training, we augmented an instructional video with different sets of visual cues: directional cues, body highlights, and metaphorical visualizations. We tested each set with ten practitioners over three recorded sessions, with follow-up interviews. Through thematic analysis, we derived insights on the effect of each set of cues for supporting movement learning. Finally, we generated design takeaways to inform future HCI work on visual cues for instructional training videos.2022ASAlessandra Semeraro et al.Uppsala UniversityTime-Series & Network Graph VisualizationFitness Tracking & Physical Activity MonitoringCHI
Sensitive Pictures: Emotional Interpretation in the MuseumMuseums are interested in designing emotional visitor experiences to complement traditional interpretations. HCI is interested in the relationship between Affective Computing and Affective Interaction. We describe Sensitive Pictures, an in the museum, experience an emotional story while viewing them, and self-report their response. A subsequent interview with a portrayal of the artist employs computer vision to estimate emotional responses from facial expressions. Visitors are given a souvenir postcard visualizing their emotional data. A study of 132 members of the public (39 interviewed) illuminates key themes: designing emotional provocations; capturing emotional responses; engaging visitors with their data; a tendency for them to align their views with the system’s interpretation; and integrating these elements into emotional trajectories. We consider how Affective Computing can hold up a mirror to our emotions during Affective Interaction.2022SBSteve Benford et al.University of NottinghamInteractive Data VisualizationVisualization Perception & CognitionMuseum & Cultural Heritage DigitizationCHI
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
Value Driven Design for Playful Technology Enhanced Installations in Public SettingsArt and installations in public settings are often created on commission from a municipality or similar public sector. Within the public sector there are many values that the community strives to enhance. Values related to democracy, inclusion, and aesthetics are but a few. When designing for public environments, the design process might be affected by the need to strive for those values in addition to, or even rather than, the more common considerations focused on user experience or commercial aspects. In this pictorial we present how identified core values influenced a design process aimed at designing innovative IoT-enhanced playground installations in a public setting. Inspired by annotated portfolios, we explicate how these core values influenced the final design.2021JBJon Back et al.Community Engagement & Civic TechnologySustainable HCIHuman-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)C&C
Physical Warm-up Games. Exploring the Potential of Play and Technology DesignWarm-up games are widespread practices in multiple activities across domains, yet little scholarly work can be found about their role in physical training. Here, we study potential goals and benefits of warm-up games, and explore opportunities for technology inclusion through investigating a collection of warm-up games gathered: online, from a survey of online warm-up games curated, described, and used by Physical Education teachers; and in person, from an ongoing design research work as part of a technology-supported circus training course. Further, in the context of the latter, we conducted explorative design interventions, augmenting a range of the warm-up games with wearable technology. Our work surfaces major goals and benefits of warm-up games, which can be broadly classified as preparing participants physically, socially, and mentally. We also show how the inclusion of open-ended technology can support these goals and discuss broader opportunities for technology inclusion in warm-up games.2021ESElena Márquez Segura et al.Universidad Carlos III de MadridFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputGamification DesignCHI
'We Can Send a Man To The Moon But We Can't Control the Temperature In Our office'; A Considerate Approach To Workplace Thermal Comfort by Older WomenFrom Fanger's seminal work on thermal comfort in the 1970s, standards governing temperatures in the workplace enshrine clothing level calculations based on full business suits, and building regulations developed using only male metabolic data, locking in a default male perspective. Even later work that highlights gender biases with regard to metabolism calculation, inclusive of both genders has focused on younger women, and the voices of older working women are missing from this discourse. We invited women over 45 to explore what they find important in workplace thermal comfort, and how devices and interfaces might meet their needs and also encourage thermal adaptivity. Our study highlights factors such as 'fresh air', and the importance of empathy to fellow inhabitants. We bring new voices to the thermal comfort discourse which supports reducing energy use in the workplace, improving thermal environments and ensuring the needs of a diverse, aging workforce are considered.2021KNKathy New et al.Lancaster UniversityAging-Friendly Technology DesignPrivacy by Design & User ControlAging-in-Place Assistance SystemsCHI
Exploring the Design Space of Immersive Social Fitness Games: The ImSoFit Games ModelThe design space of social exergames remains narrow despite the many benefits of playing and exercising together. Towards opening this design space, we followed a Research through Design (RtD) approach focused on exergames that can be fun and immersive social training experiences. Through embodied sketching activities with designers and 10 pairs of players, we explored future games for the ExerCube, an immersive exergame platform. Our work contributes with forms of intermediate-level knowledge: a design space model (the Immersive Social Fitness - ImSoFit - Games model); and a novel design vocabulary including new bodily orientations in co-located physical interaction. We illustrate their use and value scrutinizing three of our games and applying three analytical lenses to 1) understand how design choices impact how players move together; 2) evaluate design expectations and analyze players' behavior in relation to design choices; and 3) potentially extend the design space of immersive co-located social fitness games.2021ESElena Márquez Segura et al.Universidad Carlos III de MadridFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputGame UX & Player BehaviorCHI
SoniBand: Understanding the Effects of Metaphorical Movement Sonifications on Body Perception and Physical ActivityNegative body perceptions are a major predictor of physical inactivity, a serious health concern. Sensory feedback can be used to alter such body perception; movement sonification, in particular, has been suggested to affect body perception and levels of physical activity (PA) in inactive people. We investigated how metaphorical sounds impact body perception and PA. We report two qualitative studies centered on performing different strengthening/flexibility exercises using SoniBand, a wearable that augments movement through different sounds. The first study involved physically active participants and served to obtain a nuanced understanding of the sonifications’ impact. The second, in the home of physically inactive participants, served to identify which effects could support PA adherence. Our findings show that movement sonification based on metaphors led to changes in body perception (e.g., feeling strong) and PA (e.g., repetitions) in both populations, but effects could differ according to the existing PA-level. We discuss principles for metaphor-based sonification design to foster PA.2021JLJudith Ley-Flores et al.Universidad Carlos III de MadridVibrotactile Feedback & Skin StimulationFitness Tracking & Physical Activity MonitoringCHI