CHI ’25, Yokohama, Japan

Tangible narrative allow children to interact with physical objects and provides an immersive storytelling approach to influence their cognition and behavior. However, research on using tangible narratives to encourage behaviors in children remains limited. To improve children’s eating behaviors, we combined narrative transportation theory with behavior change principles to conduct a design study, called TangibleTale. Specifically, we conducted a formative user study (N = 12 pairs) to identify the characteristics of children’s engagement with tangible narrative and their interactions with parents, which were then incorporated into a design workshop (N = 12) to develop an interactive product comprising tangible elements and an accompanying app. With the produced outcomes, we conducted a comparative experiment (N = 24 pairs) in a home setting to verify and explore the role of tangible narrative in child–parent mealtime interaction. Finally, we formulated design guidelines for a tangible narrative that can serve as a reference to assist in creating more impactful products that foster positive behavioral growth in children.

To support children’s food interaction and enhance their understanding of food through morphing food technology, we develop a design exploration through the Research through Design (RtD) methodology. Our exploration integrates four stages: (1) defining design objectives through empathy with stakeholders, (2) investigating morphing food materials to understand their deformation mechanisms, (3) designing and iteratively developing tools based on user feedback, and (4) conducting a workshop-based evaluation. Our design outcome is a toolkit, comprising a morphing food library, trigger tools, and instructional interfaces. The workshop showed that through interaction with morphing food, children learned not only scientific principles but also developed culinary skills, as well as the diversity of food forms and functions. We discussed the detailed findings, insights, and implications for future design.

Shape-changing interfaces use physical changes of shape as input or output to convey information, and interact with users. Plants are natural shape-changing interfaces, expert in adjusting their shape or modality to adapt to the environment. In this paper, plant-derived natural shape-changing phenomena are systematically analyzed. Then, several corresponding plant-inspired design strategies for shape-changing interfaces are summarized with recent advancements including material selections and syntheses, fabrication methods, and actuating mechanisms. Practical applications across diverse domains aim to prove the advantages and potential of plant-inspired shape-changing interfaces in agriculture, healthcare, architecture, robotics, etc. Furthermore, the opportunities and challenges are also discussed, such as design thinking in interdisciplinary tasks, dynamic behavior and control principles, novel materials and processes, application scenario and functionality matching, and large-scale application requirements. This paper is expected to inspire in-depth research on plant-inspired shape-changing interfaces.

The popularity of mobile games has surged in recent years. Along with mobile games, the emergence of mini-games has recently raised attention. Compared to traditional mobile games, mini-games are more lightweight and platform-independent with low development cost, which has attracted thousands of developers and users. WeChat mini-games platform is one of the most popular platforms with over 100 000 mini-games. The diversity and variety of WeChat mini-games make it an ideal platform for training reinforcement learning (RL) agents. In contrast, most of the existing RL benchmark environments are equipped with predetermined games, which are always limited to several genres and lack the utilization of new and diverse games. To utilize the WeChat mini-games for RL research, in this article, we propose WemiEnv, a lightweight, easy-to-use and open-source platform for RL research towards WeChat mini-games. WemiEnv is built on the WeChat developer tools and allows RL agents to interact with the mini-games. WemiEnv also supports user-customized mini-games, requiring users to implement only a few interface functions within WemiEnv API. We also provide six popular mini-games:Space Fighter,Flip, 2048,Flappy Bird,Timberman, andSnakeas ready-to-use tasks. Experiments were conducted with the OpenAI Spinning Up library for RL baselines on the provided tasks to test the usability of WemiEnv.

Biomimicry, 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.

This paper presents TacTex, a textile-based interface that provides high-resolution haptic feedback and touch-tracking capabilities. TacTex utilizes electrotactile stimulation, which has traditionally posed challenges due to limitations in textile electrode density and quantity. TacTex overcomes these challenges by employing a multi-layer woven structure that separates conductive weft and warp electrodes with non-conductive yarns. The driving system for TacTex includes a power supply, sensing board, and switch boards to enable spatial and temporal control of electrical stimuli on the textile, while simultaneously monitoring voltage changes. TacTex can stimulate a wide range of haptic effects, including static and dynamic patterns and different sensation qualities, with a resolution of 512 × 512 and based on linear electrodes spaced as closely as 2mm. We evaluate the performance of the interface with user studies and demonstrate the potential applications of TacTex interfaces in everyday textiles for adding haptic feedback.

We present IntelliTex, a low-cost and highly accessible double-coating fabrication method for washable and reusable functional textiles with customized input functionalities. Specifically, off-the-shelf textiles are firstly coated with conductive carbon black using pen ink, which endows textiles with rich sensing capabilities, such as pressure, stretch, slide, and temperature. Secondly, textiles are coated with polyurethane to enhance the sensing stability over wash cycles for good reusability. To support user customization, we enrich the design space of double-coating by exploring various coating methods and diverse textiles to be coated. We further contribute a comprehensive library of input components and an online document to make our approach accessible to novice users. Finally, five application examples and a user study showcase the versatile functionalities and user accessibility of our method, with which we hope to support designers, makers, and researchers to easily create functional textiles ready to use in everyday life.

Touch 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.

Snap-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, a bounce button, and a large-scale light demonstrate enhanced passive interaction with inflatables.

This 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-code for fabricating and actuating displays of various morphing effects. Finally, a series of design examples demonstrate the possibilities of shape displays enabled by MagneDot.

In 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.

Existing methods in human-computer interaction to enhance children’s eating habits predominantly rely on digital interactive technologies, which pose the risk of increasing sensory stimulation and diverting children’s attention away from the food itself. Drawing inspiration from shape-changing food research, we propose an approach that combines deformable wafer paper for food preparation. We summarize the principles of wafer paper controllable deformation and develop a toolkit to facilitate its use. We support children in creating personalized, transformable food items using this method, aiming to provide a playful, convenient, and safe food-making experience tailored for children, thereby enhancing children’s mealtime engagement and habits.

"Like poles repel, unlike poles attract" is a fundamental principle of magnetism commonly used in instantaneous haptic interaction. Through the assembly design of basic five magnets, MagneChase creates a potential barrier between repulsion and attraction. This allows MagneChase modules to change the direction of their interacting force when brought closer. Applying this interaction principle, we provide application examples of kinetic roleplay to enhance tangible play experiences. A preliminary user study suggests that children were captivated by the magnetic phenomenon and derived pleasure from engaging with MagneChase. We also discuss the potential for MagneChase as a tangible kit to promote enlightenment learning in gameplay.

The field of Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) has been consistently utilizing kinematic mechanisms to create tangible dynamic interfaces and objects. However, the design and fabrication of these mechanisms are challenging due to complex spatial structures, step-by-step assembly processes, and unstable joint connections resulting from the inevitable matching errors within separated parts. In this paper, we propose an integrated fabrication method for one-step FDM 3D printing (FDM3DP) kinematic mechanisms to create dynamic objects without additional post-processing. We describe the Arch-printing and Support-bridges method, which we call All-in-One Print, that compiles given arbitrary solid 3D models into printable kinematic models as G-Code for FDM3DP. To expand the design space, we investigate a series of motion structures (e.g., rotate, slide, and screw) with multi-stabilities and develop a design tool to help users quickly design such dynamic objects. We also demonstrate various application cases, including physical interfaces, toys with interactive aesthetics and daily items with internalized functions.

4D printing encodes transformability over time, which empowers users to create artifacts by on-demand deformation. The creative process of 4D printing shape-changing artifacts can be challenging because of its discontinuous fabrication steps, such as digital designing, specific path planning, automatic printing and manual triggering. We hypothesize that switching from typical 4D printing reliant on 3D printers to a more “handcrafted” method can allow users to understand and continuously reflect upon the artifact and its transformability. Towards this vision, we introduce 4Doodle, a hybrid craft approach that integrates unique deformation controllability and five techniques for freehand 4D printing, using a 3D pen. To tackle the shape-changing challenges of uncertain hands-on fabrication, we develop a mixed reality system to help novices master the manual skills of 4D printing. We also demonstrate a series of 4D printed artifacts with fully human intervention. Finally, our user study shows that 4Doodle lowers the skill-acquisition barrier associated with handcrafting 4D printed artifacts, and it has great potential for creative production and spatial ability.

Access to computer-aided fabrication tools, such as 3D printing, empowers various craft techniques to democratize the creation of artifacts. To afford new blow molding techniques in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, we make efforts to simplify this challenging handy fabrication and enrich the design space of blow molding by taking advantage of the thermoformability and heat deformability of 3D printed thermoplastics. We propose a novel and democratized blow molding technique, PneuFab, enabled by FDM 3D-printed custom structures and temporal triggering methods. Then we implement and evaluate a design tool that allows users to play with parameters and preview the resulting forms until achieving their desired shapes. Showcasing design spaces including artifacts with complex geometries and tunable stiffness, we hope to expand access and dive into what more the digital blow molding fabrication can be.

Orthoses with electronic functions have emerged as a promising medical product in response to the increasing demand for rehabilitation training, therapy assistance, and health monitoring. However, fabricating this “smart orthosis” often requires long development cycles and exorbitant prices. We introduce E-Orthosis, an integrated fabrication approach with construction toolkits for healthcare professionals to quickly embed electronics in off-the-shelf orthoses with customized functions cost-effectively and time-efficiently. Specifically, we develop components with magnets and pogo pins to support rapid attachment and sustainable use, and textile-based electrodes with snap installation to improve the wearing experience. We also provide a circuit iron tool to apply circuit traces on complex surfaces of orthoses directly and a hot punch tool to embed magnet ports and electrodes. Three application examples, technical evaluations, and expert reviews demonstrate the functionality of E-Orthosis and the potential for democratizing rapid-developed and low-cost smart orthoses for patients.

The mobile phone interface has become important access to daily information and social entertainment. And the color design of digital interfaces has a direct impact on improving the user experience. In order to explore the user's perceptual cognition of the interface color imagery, the objective relationship between EEG (Electroencephalography) signal and interface color imagery cognition is analyzed and an inference model of interface color imagery based on EEG is established. Imagery words were selected by a card sorting experiment. EEG data is generated in the users' cognition process of matching app interface color and imagery words. Experimental results show that the N400 component appears in the experiment of imagery word as the target stimulus, and the P300 component appears in the experiment of interface picture as the target stimulus. The inference model of interface color imagery is established by Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) based on the average amplitude data of N400 or P300. Results of the verification experiment indicate that the inference model can accurately predict the imagery match tendency of interface color and imagery words.

Bridges are unique structures appeared in fused deposition modeling (FDM) that make rigid prints flexible but not fully explored. This paper presents X-Bridges, an end-to-end workflow that allows novice users to design tunable bridges that can enrich 3D printed objects' deformable and physical properties. Specifically, we firstly provide a series of deformation primitives (e.g. bend, twist, coil, compress and stretch) with three versions of stiffness (loose, elastic, stable) based on parametrized bridging experiments. Embedding the printing parameters, a design tool is developed to modify the imported 3D model, evaluate optimized printing parameters for bridges, preview shape-changing process, and generate the G-code file for 3D printing. Finally, we demonstrate the design space of X-Bridges through a set of applications that enable foldable, resilient, and interactive shape-changing objects.

3D printing, as a rapid prototyping technique, usually fabricates objects that are difficult to modify physically. This paper presents FlexTruss, a design and construction pipeline based on the assembly of modularized truss-shaped objects fabricated with conventional 3D printers and assembled by threading. To create an end-to-end system, a parametric design tool with an optimal Euler path calculation method is developed, which can support both inverse and forward design workflow and multi-material construction of modular parts. In addition, the assembly of truss modules by threading is evaluated with a series of application cases to demonstrate the affordance of FlexTruss. We believe that FlexTruss extends the design space of 3D printing beyond typically hard and fixed forms, and it will provide new capabilities for designers and researchers to explore the use of such flexible truss structures in human-object interaction.

3D printing technology makes Do-It-Yourself and reforming everyday objects a reality. However, designing and fabricating attachments that can seamlessly adapt existing objects to extended functionality is a laborious process, which requires accurate measuring, modeling, manufacturing, and assembly. This paper presents ShrinCage, a 4D printing system that allows novices to easily create shrinkable adaptations to fit and fasten existing objects. Specifically, the design tool presented in this work aid in the design of attachment that adapts to irregular morphologies, which accommodates the variations in measurements and fabrication, subsequently simplifying the modeling and assembly processes. We further conduct mechanical tests and user studies to evaluate the availability and feasibility of this method. Numerous application examples created by ShrinCage prove that it can be adopted by aesthetic modification, assistive technology, repair, upcycling, and augmented 3D printing.

Thermoplastic and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) based 4D printing are rapidly expanding to allow for space- and material-saving 2D printed sheets morphing into 3D shapes when heated. However, to our knowledge, all the known examples are either origami-based models with obvious folding hinges, or beam-based models with holes on the morphing surfaces. Morphing continuous double-curvature surfaces remains a challenge, both in terms of a tailored toolpath-planning strategy and a computational model that simulates it. Additionally, neither approach takes surface texture as a design parameter in its computational pipeline. To extend the design space of FDM-based 4D printing, in Geodesy, we focus on the morphing of continuous double-curvature surfaces or surface textures. We suggest a unique tool path - printing thermoplastics along 2D closed geodesic paths to form a surface with one raised continuous double-curvature tiles when exposed to heat. The design space is further extended to more complex geometries composed of a network of rising tiles (i.e., surface textures). Both design components and the computational pipeline are explained in the paper, followed by several printed geometric examples.

This paper presents A-line, a 4D printing system for designing and fabricating morphing three-dimensional shapes out of simple linear elements. In addition to the commonly known benefit of 4D printing to save printing time, printing materials, and packaging space, A-line also takes advantage of the unique properties of thin lines, including their suitability for compliant mechanisms and ability to travel through narrow spaces and self-deploy or self-lock on site. A-line integrates a method of bending angle control in up to eight directions for one printed line segment, using a single type of thermoplastic material. A software platform to support the design, simulation and tool path generation is developed to support the design and manufacturing of various A-line structures. Finally, the design space of A-line is explored through four application areas, including line sculpting, compliant mechanisms, self-deploying, and self-locking structures.

In this paper, we explore personalized morphing food that enhances traditional food with new HCI capabilities, rather than replacing the chef and authentic ingredients (e.g. flour) with an autonomous machine and heterogeneous mixtures (e.g. gel). Thus, we contribute a unique transformation mechanism of kneaded and sheeted flour-based dough, with an integrated design strategy for morphing food during two general cooking methods: dehydration (e.g. baking) or hydration (e.g. water boiling). We also enrich the design space of morphing food by demonstrating several applications. We end by discussing hybrid cooking between human and a design tool that we developed to ensure accuracy while preserving customizability for morphing food.

We develop a novel method printing complex self-folding geometries. We demonstrated that with a desktop fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer, off-the-shelf printing filaments and a design editor, we can print flat thermoplastic composites and trigger them to self-fold into 3D with arbitrary bending angles. This is a suitable technique, called Thermorph, to prototype hollow and foldable 3D shapes without losing key features. We describe a new curved folding origami design algorithm, compiling given arbitrary 3D models to 2D unfolded models in G-Code for FDM printers. To demonstrate the Thermorph platform, we designed and printed complex self-folding geometries (up to 70 faces), including 15 self-curved geometric primitives and 4 self-curved applications, such as chairs, the simplified Stanford Bunny and flowers. Compared to the standard 3D printing, our method saves up to 60% - 87% of the printing time for all shapes chosen.

Low-cost fabrication machines (e.g., 3D printers) offer the promise of creating custom-designed objects by a range of users. To maximize performance, generative design methods such as topology optimization can automatically optimize properties of a design based on high-level specifications. Though promising, such methods require people to map their design ideas--often unintuitively--to a small number of mathematical input parameters, and the relationship between those parameters and a generated design is often unclear, making it difficult to iterate a design. We present Forte, a sketch-based, real-time interactive tool for people to directly express and iterate on their designs via 2D topology optimization. Users can ask the system to add structures, provide a variation with better performance, or optimize internal material layouts. Users can globally control how much to 'deviate' from the initial sketch, or perform local suggestive editing, which interactively prompts the system to update based on the new information. Design sessions with 10 participants demonstrate that Forte empowers designers to create and explore a range of optimized designs with custom forms and styles.

We present a printed paper actuator as a low cost, reversible and electrical actuation and sensing method. This is a novel but easily accessible enabling technology that expands upon the library of actuation-sensing materials in HCI. By integrating three physical phenomena, including the bilayer bending actuation, the shape memory effect of the thermoplastic and the current-driven joule heating via conductive printing filament, we developed the actuator by simply printing a single layer conductive Polylactide (PLA) on a piece of copy paper via a desktop fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer. This paper describes the fabrication process, the material mechanism, and the transformation primitives, followed by the electronic sensing and control methods. A software tool that assists the design, simulation and printing toolpath generation is introduced. Finally, we explored applications under four contexts: robotics, interactive art, entertainment and home environment.

We present 4DMesh, a method of combining shrinking and bending thermoplastic actuators with customized geometric algorithms to 4D print and morph centimeter- to meter-sized functional non-developable surfaces. We will share two end-to-end inverse design algorithms. With our tools, users can input CAD models of target surfaces and produce respective printable files. The flat sheet printed can morph into target surfaces when triggered by heat. This system saves shipping and packaging costs, in addition to enabling customizability for the design of relatively large non-developable structures. We designed a few functional artifacts to leverage the advantage of non-developable surfaces for their unique functionalities in aesthetics, mechanical strength, geometric ergonomics and other functionalities. In addition, we demonstrated how this technique can potentially be adapted to customize molds for industrial parts (e.g., car, boat, etc.) in the future.

To meet the increasing requirements of HCI researchers who are prototyping a variety of forms to create novel interfaces under a ubiquitous situation, we present WeaveMesh, a low-fidelity and low-cost rapid prototyping system that produces 3D objects in a mesh structure. Inspired by hand-weaving craft, WeaveMesh supports a highly customizable software platform, which is applicable for simulating and facilitating freeform surface constructions composed of woven lines arranged in a regular grid, which can serve as a guide for easy assembly. In addition, mobilizable connectors are suggested to support flexible assembly, which can be revised, recycled, and reused to facilitate short iterations. Furthermore, compared to common additive and subtractive techniques, WeaveMesh has a better balance between time and material saving. In this paper, we will introduce the system in detail and demonstrate the feasibility of the technique through various 3D models in the area of interactive media, products and architecture.

There is a prosperity in wearable media in data monitoring. Since the apparel can show personal tastes, emotions and attitudes, what if our clothes could express affective information throughout different situations? This paper presents a system for enhancing the experience of situated-base affective communication by information visualization. The paper discusses the leading features in a variety of specific contexts such as the information monitoring, the remote communication and the customization.

Objects, whether toys or not, are likely to become the center of children's game, which can trigger children's exploration and imagination, and build the world's environmental and psychological statements by manipulating something, to enhance the autonomy of children and inspire their creativity. This paper, based on scaffolding learning theory, puts forward the learning principle of constructive play suitable for learning in play school, suitable for cognitive behaviors of children aged 5 to 8 years old, and aims to encourage children to think creatively in the course of play, rather than learning knowledge and solve problems. We redesign the images, most commonly used by children RPG storytelling, and embed interactive intelligence, to better help children play games, stimulate their imagination and creativity in storytelling, and encourage them share with their companions and parents.