This paper looks at texture—middle-level components—as an important aspect of drawing. We present a hardware tool, penPal, that is designed to support dynamic mark-making and direct creative actions at this level. By incorporating a tendon-driven continuum robot, penPal’s tip can move independently, giving the user a new axis of creative control. Combined with the user’s own manipulations, penPal allows for emergent combinations of computer and manual control over the rapid generation of diverse textures. Through a 10-participant study and a professional artist commission, we examine how users negotiate control by integrating multiple coordinate systems (their body, the paper, and penPal’s tip) as they construct compositions. We suggest some benefits of supporting users at the texture level, such as the ability to shift the primary focus of their activity, the ability to selectively defamiliarize the creative process for generative potential, and for pleasure.

As persuasive technologies weave themselves deeper into the fabric of domestic life, the challenge of sustaining digital wellbeing grows increasingly entangled with the spaces and rhythms of everyday living. Conventional Digital Self-Control Tools (DSCTs), while offering momentary reprieve, often falter under sustained use, revealing a gap between device-centric interventions and the situated nature of technology habits. In resistance, we present Attention Nooks: a set of spatial interventions that deploy "situated frictions" within the home. Attention Nooks recast digital wellbeing as a lived negotiation of spatial boundaries in the home. Developed through an autobiographical design process, we surface design events that shaped our making and living with our prototypes. We discuss the teleological nature of interventions, implications for ubiquitous computing, and the subversion of ethically ambiguous technologies. Our contribution lies in reframing digital wellbeing as a design opportunity that calls for pluralistic situated encounters in the home.

We explore how a display surface can physically emerge on demand to support both mid-air visualization and direct touch interaction. We introduce blooming, a concept that repurposes Persistence-of-Vision (POV) motion to deploy a large, touchable surface from a compact, relocatable device. Using a soft, rotating line with arch-shaped electrodes, our system renders dynamic mid-air visuals while enabling direct touch input on the manifested surface. Realizing this concept requires addressing the unique challenges of touching spinning elements, including ensuring safety, minimizing disturbances to rotation caused by touch, and detecting brief unstable touches during spinning. We present a safety-oriented device design, special blades effective in minimizing finger disturbance, and optimization techniques tailored to transient, noisy touches. We also reveal how rotation speed and electrode height significantly affect sensing accuracy and user experience. Finally, we demonstrate applications that show how blooming touch displays can flexibly augment everyday objects and environments.

With instant gratification constantly available at the tap of a screen, smartphone overuse has quickly become a widespread problem. Many digital applications have been built to combat this issue, either by blocking content entirely or enforcing a mindful pause before entering a distracting app. In this paper, we propose FocuShift, a shape-changing device that attaches to the phone case, as a novel tangible intervention to prevent smartphone overuse. Our device is designed to trigger a shape-change intervention periodically while a user is engaging with a distracting app, altering the ergonomics of the phone and promoting awareness while distracted. We deployed our device in-the-wild for a 48 hour study, comparing screen time between baseline phone usage and phone usage with our shape-changing intervention active. We then conducted interviews with participants to understand the qualitative merits of our proof-of-concept.

We propose GadJets, an approach to remotely actuating passive materials and mechanisms using air jets for interactive and shape-changing tangible user interfaces (TUIs). Compared to previous HCI research in remote actuation, air jets offer relatively strong, distant, and safe actuation with simple control. Leveraging these advantages, we can selectively actuate multiple passive materials and mechanisms (or GadJet modules) using only one actuator. We defined a design space to outline the basic architecture and generalizable primitives for air-jet-based TUIs. Also, we exemplified our approach with diverse GadJets modules and proof-of-concept implementation of a computer-controlled air jet system. Finally, we developed a visualization system of the estimated air range based on pre-collected data to support user control. With the vision of deploying multiple passive GadJet modules in an environment fused with the actuated air jets, we demonstrated applications of interactive tabletop objects, an actuated workbench, and an actuated shelf.

Ambient interfaces and calm technology have tried to address attention concerns by operating peripherally in the background. However, as smart home devices increasingly demand attention, we propose a different approach: primary interfaces can employ “least sensing” or “sensory reduction” as attention-preserving mechanisms. Physical privacy-preserving mechanisms have become increasingly common in smart homes, from camera covers to mechanical microphone switches, giving users direct control through physical interaction. Building on this trend, this full-day studio introduces “attention-preserving tangible interfaces”—tangible interfaces that preserve attention through sensory reduction rather than peripheral operation. Through hands-on activities, participants will explore how primary interfaces might be designed to reduce sensory engagement, speculating on what attention-preserving tangible interfaces might look like in smart home contexts. This studio is particularly relevant as smart home devices proliferate and compete for attention, offering an alternative vision of technology that respects rather than demands our focus.

The vision of programmable matter — materials that can change shape or properties in a programmable way — has inspired decades of research across robotics, materials science, and HCI. However, many line-based actuated systems struggle to achieve fine-grained geometries, due to motor size, cost, and control complexity. In this work, we introduce PopTuber, a novel approach to dynamically generate high-resolution 3D curves using passive, low-cost, multistable pop tubes. Instead of chaining actuators, our system leverages the densely arranged bellows with discrete mechanical states, collapsed, expanded, or folded, to represent and construct arbitrary curves. We present the Shaper, a device that uses only five servo motors to reconfigure tubes of any length and curved segments. Alongside the hardware, we provide design guidelines that allow our shaping principle to scale for different tube sizes, a software pipeline that can simulate the tube geometry and execute motor cmmands, and an evaluation of shaping performance and scalability. Our work challenges conventional actuator-intensive and material-oriented approaches in programmable matter, showing how passive, discretely shapable materials combined with minimal actuation can enable versatile, low-cost shape transformations along with a variety of applications.

Driven by the vision of everyday haptics, the HCI community is advocating for "design touch first" and investigating "how to touch well." However, a gap remains between the exploratory nature of haptic design and technical reproducibility. We present Shape-Kit, a hybrid design toolkit embodying our "crafting haptics" metaphor, where hand touch is transduced into dynamic pin-based sensations that can be freely explored across the body. An ad-hoc tracking module captures and digitizes these patterns. Our study with 14 designers and artists demonstrates how Shape-Kit facilitates sensorial exploration for expressive haptic design. We analyze how designers collaboratively ideate, prototype, iterate, and compose touch experiences and show the subtlety and richness of touch that can be achieved through diverse crafting methods with Shape-Kit. Reflecting on the findings, our work contributes key insights into haptic toolkit design and touch design practices centered on the "crafting haptics" metaphor. We discuss in-depth how Shape-Kit's simplicity, though remaining constrained, enables focused crafting for deeper exploration, while its collaborative nature fosters shared sense-making of touch experiences.

We present "Push-That-There", an interaction method and system enabling multimodel object-level user interaction with multi-robot system to autonomously and collectively manipulate objects on tabletop surfaces, inspired by "Put-That-There". Rather than requiring users to instruct individual robots, users directly specify how they want the objects to be moved, and the system responds by autonomously moving objects via our generalizable multi-robot control algorithm. The system is combined with various user instruction modalities, including gestures, GUI, tangible manipulation, and speech, allowing users to intuitively create object-level instruction. We outline a design space, highlight interaction design opportunities facilitated by "Push-That-There", and provide an evaluation to assess our system's technical capabilities. While other recent HCI research has studied interaction using multi-robot system (e.g. Swarm UIs), our contribution is in the design and technical implementation of intuitive object-level interaction for multi-robot system that allows users to work at a high level, rather than needing to focus on the movements of individual robots.

Threading Space is a kinetic sculpture that explores how spatial perception can be transformed by dynamically and geometrically reconfiguring physical lines of thread. As the threads in motion interact, they become a hypnotic medium for three-dimensional patterns. Through a physical installation and an interactive GUI, Threading Space invites the audience to explore the potential of using swarm robots and line elements to create, morph, and interact with space.

YouTube remains a site of problematic persuasive media consumption, often overriding the goals of users when on the platform. In resistance, we present Attention Receipts — artifacts that materialize the cost of being persuaded by the engagement driven design of YouTube. We design and build a browser plugin and a receipt printer that helps users critically reflect upon their time spent watching videos on YouTube. In a 3 week field-deployment with 6 participants, we evaluate how the materiality of the receipt and their agency in the reflection process affect both the quality of reflection and the time spent consuming media. We find that the materiality of the receipts positively influences time spent consuming internet media and that users were split on having agency over when and how they reflect upon their screen-time. We conclude with design recommendations for domestic artifacts that utilize materiality to reveal the effects of persuasive technology.

We present FabRobotics, a digital fabrication pipeline that combines traditional 3D printing with mobile robots. By integrating these two technologies, we aim to create new opportunities for 3D printers to fabricate objects quickly and efficiently, and for mobile robots to enhance their adaptability and interactivity. To explore this novel research opportunity, we have developed a proof-of-concept implementation pipeline, allowing users to execute hybrid turn-taking control of a 3D printer and mobile robots to autonomously 3D print objects on/with mobile robots. The system was implemented with commercially available 3D printers (Prusa MINI) and mobile robots (toio), and we share various techniques and knowledge specific to fusing 3D printers and mobile robots (e.g. printing mobile robot docks for stable prints on robots). Based on the proof-of-concept system, we demonstrate various application usages and functionalities, showcasing how 3D printing and mobile robots can mutually advance each other for novel fabrication and interaction. Lastly, we share our further exploration of extended prototypes (e.g. fusing two printers) and discuss future technical challenges and research opportunities.

As robots inhabit more social spheres, human acceptance significantly impacts their functionality and engagement. The way robotic movement is perceived is crucial to their acceptance in society. However, robotic movement is most often a result of function rather than purposefully designed. Working in the continuum between robotic, tangible, and shape-shifting interfaces will enable a deeper exploration of the effects and interpretation of expressive movement. Hence, we propose [e]Motion, a hands-on opportunity for participants to explore design methods and prototype a variety of expressive movements in robotic and actuated and shape-shifting tangible interfaces. We will collectively reflect on evaluation methods and co-develop a visual vocabulary of motion and emotion, mapping movement more directly to personality and emotion. With this, we aim to foster a practical understanding of expressive movement and how it might affect human acceptance of robots and tangible interfaces.

This paper introduces text-to-shape-display, a novel approach to generating dynamic shape changes in pin-based shape displays through natural language commands. By leveraging large language models (LLMs) and AI-chaining, our approach allows users to author shape-changing behaviors on demand through text prompts without programming. We describe the foundational aspects necessary for such a system, including the identification of key generative elements (primitive, animation, and interaction) and design requirements to enhance user interaction, based on formative exploration and iterative design processes. Based on these insights, we develop SHAPE-IT, an LLM-based authoring tool for a 24 x 24 shape display, which translates the user’s textual command into executable code and allows for quick exploration through a web-based control interface. We evaluate the effectiveness of SHAPE-IT in two ways: 1) performance evaluation and 2) user evaluation (N= 10). The study conclusions highlight the ability to facilitate rapid ideation of a wide range of shape-changing behaviors with AI. However, the findings also expose accuracy-related challenges and limitations, prompting further exploration into refining the framework for leveraging AI to better suit the unique requirements of shape-changing systems.

This paper introduces a novel approach to interactive robots by leveraging the form-factor of cards to create thin robots equipped with vibrational capabilities for locomotion and haptic feedback. The system is composed of flat-shaped robots with on-device sensing and wireless control, which offer lightweight portability and scalability. This research introduces a hardware prototype to explore the possibility of ‘vibration-based omni-directional sliding locomotion’. Applications include augmented card playing, educational tools, and assistive technology, which showcase CARDinality’s versatility in tangible interaction.

Flywheels are unique, versatile actuators that store and convert kinetic energy to torque, widely utilized in aerospace, robotics, haptics, and more. However, prototyping interaction using flywheels is not trivial due to safety concerns, unintuitive operation, and implementation challenges. We present TorqueCapsules: self-contained, fully-encapsulated flywheel actuation modules that make the flywheel actuators easy to control, safe to interact with, and quick to reconfigure and customize. By fully encapsulating the actuators with a wireless microcontroller, a battery, and other components, the module can be readily attached, embedded, or stuck to everyday objects, worn to people’s bodies, or combined with other devices. With our custom GUI, both novices and expert users can easily control multiple modules to design and prototype movements and kinesthetic haptics unique to flywheel actuation. We demonstrate various applications, including actuated everyday objects, wearable haptics, and expressive robots. We conducted workshops for novices and experts to employ TorqueCapsules to collect qualitative feedback and further application examples.

In this paper, we introduce Physica, a tangible physics simulation system and approach based on tabletop mobile robots. In Physica, each tabletop robot can physically represent distinct simulated objects that are controlled through an underlying physics simulation, such as gravitational force, molecular movement, and spring force. It aims to bring the benefits of tangible and haptic interaction into explorable physics learning, which was traditionally only available on screen-based interfaces. The system utilizes off-the-shelf mobile robots (Sony Toio) and an open-source physics simulation tool (Teilchen). Built on top of them, we implement the interaction software pipeline that consists of 1) an event detector to reflect tangible interaction by users, and 2) target speed control to minimize the gap between the robot motion and simulated moving objects. To present the potential for physics education, we demonstrate various application scenarios that illustrate different forms of learning using Physica. In our user study, we investigate the effect and the potential of our approach through a perception study and interviews with physics educators.

We introduce ThrowIO, a novel style of actuated tangible user interface that facilitates throwing and catching spatial interaction powered by mobile wheeled robots on overhanging surfaces. In our approach, users throw and stick objects that are embedded with magnets to an overhanging ferromagnetic surface where wheeled robots can move and drop them at desired locations, allowing users to catch them. The thrown objects are tracked with an RGBD camera system to perform closed-loop robotic manipulations. By computationally facilitating throwing and catching interaction, our approach can be applied in many applications including kinesthetic learning, gaming, immersive haptic experience, ceiling storage, and communication. We demonstrate the applications with a proof-of-concept system enabled by wheeled robots, ceiling hardware design, and software control. Overall, ThrowIO opens up novel spatial, dynamic, and tangible interaction for users via overhanging robots, which has great potential to be integrated into our everyday space.

We present AeroRigUI, an actuated tangible UI for 3D spatial embodied interaction. Using strings controlled by self-propelled swarm robots with a reeling mechanism on ceiling surfaces, our approach enables rigging (control through strings) physical objects’ position and orientation in the air. This can be applied to novel interactions in 3D space, including dynamic physical affordances, 3D information displays, and haptics. Utilizing the ceiling, an often underused room area, AeroRigUI can be applied for a range of applications such as room organization, data physicalization, and animated expressions. We demonstrate the applications based on our proof-of-concept prototype, which includes the hardware design of the rigging robots, named RigBots, and the software design for mid-air object control via interactive string manipulation. We also introduce technical evaluation and analysis of our approach prototype to address the hardware feasibility and safety. Overall, AeroRigUI enables a novel spatial and tangible UI system with great controllability and deployability.

Scissor mechanisms are commonly used extension mechanisms for developing lifts, robotic grippers, and mechanical shape-changing toys. The scissor mechanism has several unique features when applied to shape-changing interfaces, namely (1) simple mechanism with 1DoF transformation, (2) expandable transformation capability for interaction design, and (3) modular and customizable linkage design. In this paper, we present Xs, a novel type of shape-changing interface based on scissor mechanisms. The architecture design of Xs is introduced to construct a range of configurations based on the concept of global and local segment modules. Our implementation introduces modular prototypes that allow rich geometric configuration and I/O customization for users/designers to construct different transforming, interactive systems. Based on the prototypes, we present a variety of applications such as a shape-changing gaming controller, scalable and adaptable sensing, and mobile attachments.

(Dis)Appearables is an approach for actuated Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) to appear and disappear. This technique is supported by Stages: physical platforms inspired by theatrical stages. Self-propelled TUI’s autonomously move between front and back stage allowing them to dynamically appear and disappear from users’ attention. This platform opens up a novel interaction design space for expressive displays with dynamic physical affordances.

This paper introduces Sketched Reality, an approach that combines AR sketching and actuated tangible user interfaces (TUI) for bi-directional sketching interaction. Bi-directional sketching enables virtual sketches and physical objects to “affect” each other through physical actuation and digital computation. In the existing AR sketching, the relationship between virtual and physical worlds is only one-directional — while physical interaction can affect virtual sketches, virtual sketches have no return effect on the physical objects or environment. In contrast, bi-directional sketching interaction allows the seamless coupling between sketches and actuated TUIs. In this paper, we employ tabletop-size small robots (Sony Toio) and an iPad-based AR sketching tool to demonstrate the concept. In our system, virtual sketches drawn and simulated on an iPad (e.g., lines, walls, pendulums, and springs) can move, actuate, collide, and constrain physical Toio robots, as if virtual sketches and the physical objects exist in the same space through seamless coupling between AR and robot motion. This paper contributes a set of novel interactions and a design space of bi-directional AR sketching. We demonstrate a series of potential applications, such as tangible physics education, explorable mechanism, tangible gaming for children, and in-situ robot programming via sketching.

We propose inDepth, a novel system that enables force-based interaction with objects beyond a physical barrier by using scalable force sensor modules. inDepth transforms a physical barrier (eg. glass showcase or 3D display) to a tangible input interface that enables users to interact with objects out of reach, by applying finger pressure on the barrier’s surface. To achieve this interaction, our system tracks the applied force as a directional vector by using three force sensors installed underneath the barrier. Meanwhile, our force-to-depth conversion algorithm translates force intensity into a spatial position along its direction beyond the barrier. Finally, the system executes various operations on objects in that position based on the type of application. In this paper, we introduce inDepth concept and its design space. We also demonstrate example applications, including selecting items in showcases and manipulating 3D rendered models.

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 (øouter < 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.

Venous Materials is a novel concept and approach of an interactive material utilizing fluidic channels. We present a design method for fluidic mechanisms that respond to deformation by mechanical inputs from the user, such as pressure and bending. We designed a set of primitive venous structures that act as embedded analog fluidic sensors, displaying flow and color change. In this paper, we consider the fluid as the medium to drive tangible information triggered by deformation, and at the same time, to function as a responsive display of that information. To provide users with a simple way to create and validate designs of fluidic structures, we built a software platform and design tool UI. This design tool allows users to quickly design the geometry, and simulate the flow with intended mechanical force dynamically. We present a range of applications that demonstrate how Venous Materials can be utilized to augment interactivity of everyday physical objects.

We propose a novel fabrication method for 3D objects based on the principle of spooling. By wrapping off-the-shelf materials such as thread, ribbon, tape or wire onto a core structure, new objects can be created and existing objects can be augmented with desired aesthetic and functional qualities. Our system, WraPr, enables gesture-based modelling and controlled thread deposition. We outline and explore the design space for this approach. Various examples are fabricated to demonstrate the possibility to attain a range of physical and functional properties. The simplicity of the proposed method opens the grounds for a light-weight fabrication approach for the generation of new structures and the customization of existing objects using soft materials.

In this hands-on studio we introduce a method of designing and prototyping fluidic mechanisms that utilize the flow as both deformation sensors and displays. A fabrication process and the featured materials will be provided to allow participants to design and prototype self-contained fluidic channels. These channels are designed to respond to mechanical inputs such as deformation and pressure with flow and color change. We will introduce a specialized software plugin for design and flow simulation that enables simple and rapid modelling with optimization of the fluidic mechanism. The goal of this studio is to provide researchers, designers and makers with hand-on experience in designing fluidic mechanisms, coupling shape-change (i.e. deformation input) with displayed response. Our method allows participants to explore meaningful applications such as on-body wearable devices for augmenting motion and animating objects such as interactive books, lampshades and packaging.

This paper introduces TRANS-DOCK, a docking system for pin-based shape displays that enhances their interaction capabilities for both the output and input. By simply interchanging the transducer module, composed of passive mechanical structures, to be docked on a shape display, users can selectively switch between different configurations including display sizes, resolutions, and even motion modalities to allow pins moving in a linear motion to rotate, bend and inflate. We introduce a design space consisting of several mechanical elements and enabled interaction capabilities. We then explain the implementation of the docking system and transducer design components. Our implementation includes providing the limitations and characteristics of each motion transmission method as design guidelines. A number of transducer examples are then shown to demonstrate the range of interactivity and application space achieved with the approach of TRANS-DOCK. Potential use cases to take advantage of the interchangeability of our approach are discussed. Through this paper we intend to expand expressibility, adaptability and customizability of a single shape display for dynamic physical interaction. By converting arrays of linear motion to several types of dynamic motion in an adaptable and flexible manner, we advance shape displays to enable versatile embodied interactions.

We introduce HERMITS, a modular interaction architecture for self-propelled Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) that incorporates physical add-ons, referred to as mechanical shells. The mechanical shell add-ons are intended to be dynamically reconfigured by utilizing the locomotion capability of self-propelled TUIs (e.g. wheeled TUIs, swarm UIs). We developed a proof-of-concept system that demonstrates this novel architecture using two-wheeled robots and a variety of mechanical shell examples. These mechanical shell add-ons are passive physical attatchments that extend the primitive interactivities (e.g. shape, motion and light) of the self-propelled robots.

While previously proposed hardware on pin-based shape display has improved various technical aspects, there has been a clear limitation on the haptic quality of variable 'force' feedback. In this paper, we explore a novel haptic interaction design space with 'force' controlled shape display. Utilizing high performance linear actuators with current reading functionality, we built a 10 x 5 'force' shape display, named inFORCE, that can both detect and exert variable force on individual pins. By integrating closed-loop force control, our system can provide real-time variable haptic feedback in response to the way users press the pins. Our haptic interaction design space includes volumetric haptic feedback, material emulation, layer snapping, and friction. Our proposed interaction methods, for example, enables people to "press through'' computationally rendered dynamic shapes to understand the internal structure of 3D volumetric information. We also demonstrate a material property capturing functionality. Our technical evaluation and user study assesses the hardware capability and haptic perception through interaction with inFORCE. We also discuss application spaces that 'force' shape display can be used for.

SCALE provides a framework for load data from distributed load-sensitive modules for exploring force-based interaction. Force conveys not only the force vector itself but also rich information about activities, including way of touching, object location and body motion. Our system captures these interactions on a single pipeline of load data processing. Furthermore, we have expanded the interaction area from a flat 2D surface to 3D volume by building a mathematical framework, which enables us to capture the vertical height of a touch point. These technical invention opens broad applications, including general shape capturing and motion recognition. We have packaged the framework into a physical prototyping kit, and conducted a workshop with product designers to evaluate our system in practical scenarios.

Immersive experiences seek to engage the full sensory system in ways that words, pictures, or touch alone cannot. With respect to the haptic system, however, physical feedback has been provided primarily with handheld tactile experiences or vibration-based designs, largely ignoring both pressure receptors and the full upper-body area as conduits for expressing meaning that is consistent with sight and sound. We extend the potential for immersion along these dimensions with the Force Jacket, a novel array of pneumatically-actuated airbags and force sensors that provide precisely directed force and high frequency vibrations to the upper body. We describe the pneumatic hardware and force control algorithms, user studies to verify perception of airbag location and pressure magnitude, and subsequent studies to define full-torso, pressure and vibration-based feel effects such as punch, hug, and snake moving across the body. We also discuss the use of those effects in prototype virtual reality applications.

In this paper, we present AnimaStage: a hands-on animated craft platform based on an actuated stage. Utilizing a pin-based shape changing display, users can animate their crafts made from various materials. Through this system, we intend to lower the barrier for artists and designers to create actuated objects and to contribute to interaction design using shape changing interfaces for inter-material interactions. We introduce a three-phase design process for AnimaStage with examples of animated crafts. We implemented the system with several control modalities that allow users to manipulate the motion of the crafts so that they could easily explore their desired motion through an iterative process. To complement the animated crafts, dynamic landscapes can also be rendered. We conducted a user study to observe the subject and process by which people make crafts using AnimaStage. We invited participants with different backgrounds to design and create crafts using multiple materials and craft techniques. A variety of outcomes and application spaces were found in this study.

Shape changing interfaces give physical shapes to digital data so that users can feel and manipulate data with their hands and bodies. However, physical objects in our daily life not only have shape but also various material properties. In this paper, we propose an interaction technique to represent material properties using shape changing interfaces. Specifically, by integrating the multi-modal sensation techniques of haptics, our approach builds a perceptive model for the properties of deformable materials in response to direct manipulation. As a proof-of-concept prototype, we developed preliminary physics algorithms running on pin-based shape displays. The system can create computationally variable properties of deformable materials that are visually and physically perceivable. In our experiments, users identify three deformable material properties (flexibility, elasticity and viscosity) through direct touch interaction with the shape display and its dynamic movements. In this paper, we describe interaction techniques, our implementation, future applications and evaluation on how users differentiate between specific properties of our system. Our research shows that shape changing interfaces can go beyond simply displaying shape allowing for rich embodied interaction and perceptions of rendered materials with the hands and body.

HydroMorph is an interactive display based on shapes formed by a stream of water. Inspired by the membrane formed when a water stream hits a smooth surface (e.g. a spoon), we developed a system that dynamically controls the shape of a water membrane. This paper describes the design and implementation of our system, explores a design space of interactions around water shapes, and proposes a set of user scenarios in applications across scales, from the faucet to the fountain. Through this work, we look to to enrich our interaction with water, an everyday material, with the added dimension of transformation.

This paper presents ChainFORM: a linear, modular, actuated hardware system as a novel type of shape changing interface. Using rich sensing and actuation capability, this modular hardware system allows users to construct and customize a wide range of interactive applications. Inspired by modular and serpentine robotics, our prototype comprises identical modules that connect in a chain. Modules are equipped with rich input and output capability: touch detection on multiple surfaces, angular detection, visual output, and motor actuation. Each module includes a servo motor wrapped with a flexible circuit board with an embedded microcontroller.

In this paper we explore the design space of actuated curve interfaces, a novel class of shape changing-interfaces. Physical curves have several interesting characteristics from the perspective of interaction design: they have a variety of inherent affordances; they can easily represent abstract data; and they can act as constraints, boundaries, or borderlines. By utilizing such aspects of lines and curves, together with the added capability of shape-change, new possibilities for display, interaction and body constraint are possible. In order to investigate these possibilities we have implemented two actuated curve interfaces at different scales. LineFORM, our implementation, inspired by serpentine robotics, is comprised of a series chain of 1DOF servo motors with integrated sensors for direct manipulation. To motivate this work we present various applications such as shape changing cords, mobiles, body constraints, and data manipulation tools.