Each new material developed opens a broader pallet of aesthetic and functional possibilities for designers. This paper introduces DIS to biofoam, a material that is water-soluble, biodegradable, and can be made conductive. We describe the material in detail: the process of making the material from scratch, the material’s fabrication into forms with hand-craft techniques, and present two HCI specific applications of the biofoam. The biofoam can be cooked, molded, layered, extruded, dissolved or recooked opening up possibilities to consider the entire life cycle of the material in the design process. We contribute design considerations to allow designers to “tune” the biofoam to the desired quality, as well as a characterization of many aspects of the biofoam such as compression, spring back time, water permeability, and electrical conductivity. Finally, we discuss the unique opportunities this material and its life cycle bring to the design and HCI communities.

Designing a data physicalization requires a myriad of different considerations. Despite the cross-disciplinary nature of these considerations, research currently lacks a synthesis across the different communities data physicalization sits upon, including their approaches, theories, and even terminologies. To bridge these communities synergistically, we present a design space that describes and analyzes physicalizations according to three facets: context (end-user considerations), structure (the physical structure of the artifact), and interactions (interactions with both the artifact and data). We construct this design space through a systematic review of 47 physicalizations and analyze the interrelationships of key factors when designing a physicalization. This design space cross-pollinates knowledge from relevant HCI communities, providing a cohesive overview of what designers should consider when creating a data physicalization while suggesting new design possibilities. We analyze the design decisions present in current physicalizations, discuss emerging trends, and identify underlying open challenges.

Goal-based navigation in public places is critical for independent mobility and for breaking barriers that exist for blind or visually impaired (BVI) people in a sight-centric society. Through this work we present a proof-of-concept system that autonomously leverages goal-based navigation assistance and perception to identify socially preferred seats and safely guide its user towards them in unknown indoor environments. The robotic system includes a camera, an IMU, vibrational motors, and a white cane, powered via a backpack-mounted laptop. The system combines techniques from computer vision, robotics, and motion planning with insights from psychology to perform 1) SLAM and object localization, 2) goal disambiguation and scoring, and 3) path planning and guidance. We introduce a novel 2-motor haptic feedback system on the cane's grip for navigation assistance. Through a pilot user study we show that the system is successful in classifying and providing haptic navigation guidance to socially preferred seats, while optimizing for users' convenience, privacy, and intimacy in addition to increasing their confidence in independent navigation. The implications are encouraging as this technology, with careful design guided by the BVI community, can be adopted and further developed to be used with medical devices enabling the BVI population to better independently engage in socially dynamic situations like seat choice.

Dance provides unique opportunities for embodied interdisciplinary learning experiences that can be personally and culturally relevant. danceON is a system that supports learners to leverage their body movement as they engage in artistic practices across data science, computing, and dance. The technology includes a Domain Specific Language (DSL) with declarative syntax and reactive behavior, a media player with pose detection and classification, and a web-based IDE. danceON provides a low-floor allowing users to bind virtual shapes to body positions in under three lines of code, while also enabling complex, dynamic animations that users can design working with conditionals and past position data. We developed danceON to support distance learning and deployed it in two consecutive cohorts of a remote, two-week summer camp for young women of color. We present our findings from an analysis of the experience and the resulting computational performances. The work identifies implications for how design can support learners’ expression across culturally relevant themes and examines challenges from the lens of usability of the computing language and technology.

Traditional handcraft and modern cyborg culture share a common goal: democratize creation through demonstrations and education. Cyborg Crafts blends techniques from the fiber arts with cyborg-inspired technologies (e.g., open-source biosensing EEG headsets and RFID implants). Second SKIN (Soft Keen INteraction), intended to support this practice, is a handmade collection of four modular soft wearable sensors with a temperature-dependent dynamic display. Each sensor has unique sensor-specific outer shell textures based on non-woven textile techniques, and each supports a different sense: momentary switch, pressure sensor, pinch sensor, and a gesture-detecting, capacitive touch sensor. The interactions of pressing, pinching, and touching are encouraged by sensor-specific extruded designs lending to finger placement. The outer shell textures are made from a mixture of flaxseed mucilage and silicone rubber. Thermochromic pigment additives endow display functionality to these passive devices through the application of heat in excess of 86°F.