Multimodal interactions can reduce cognitive load in demanding situations, such as driving [68, 69, 85]. While such interfaces are becoming more mainstream in vehicles, knowledge of situational and contextual factors which influence user preferences about these interactions is sparse. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals, we take a scenario-specific look at perceptions, expectations, and concerns of voice, gesture, and multimodal interactions within vehicles. We presented participants with scenarios where cognitive load, social norms, and other situational factors vary greatly, such as heavy-traffic or multiple passengers. We found situational preferences of voice and gesture shifted greatly, and often contradicted broadly stated preferences. For example, users generally prefer touch, but use voice in complex traffic, and prefer gesture around other occupants to not interrupt conversations. Based on our findings, we share design considerations that can help interaction designers account for variations in user preference when designing modally flexible automotive interfaces.

Today’s electronics are manufactured to provide stable functionality and fixed physical forms optimized for reliable operation over long periods and repeated use. However, even when applications don’t call for such robustness, the permanency of these electronics comes with environmental consequences. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach that utilizes sustainable transient electronics whose method of destruction is also key to their functionality. We create these electronics through three different methods: 1) by inkjet printing conductive silver traces on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) substrates to create water-soluble sensors; 2) by mixing a conductive beeswax material configured as a meltable sensor; and 3) by fabricating edible electronics with 3D printed chocolate and culinary gold leaf. To enable practical applications of these devices, we implement a fully transient and sustainable chipless RF detection system.

Despite thin-line actuators becoming widely adopted in different Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) contexts, including integration into fabrics, paper art, hinges, soft robotics, and human hair, accessible line-based actuators are very limited beyond shape memory alloy (SMA) wire and motor-driven passive tendons. In this paper, we introduce a novel, yet simple and accessible, line-based actuator. ModiFiber is a twisted-then-coiled nylon thread actuator with a silicone coating. This composite thread actuator exhibits unique two-way reversible shrinking or twisting behaviors triggered by heat or electrical current (i.e., Joule heating). ModiFiber is soft, flexible, safe to operate and easily woven or sewn, hence it has a great potential as an embedded line-based actuator for HCI purposes. In this paper, we explain the material mechanisms and manufacturing approaches, followed by some performance tests and application demonstrations.