WRLKit: Computational Design of Personalized Wearable Robotic Limbs Abstract Wearable robotic limbs (WRLs) augment human capabilities through robotic structures that attach to the user’s body. While WRLs are intensely researched and various device designs have been presented, it remains difficult for non-roboticists to engage with this exciting field. We aim to empower interaction designers and application domain experts to explore novel designs and applications by […]
Double-Sided Tactile Interactions for Grasping in Virtual Reality Abstract For grasping, tactile stimuli to multiple fingertips are crucial for realistic shape rendering and precise manipulation. Pinching is particularly important in virtual reality since it is frequently used to grasp virtual objects. However, the interaction space of tactile feedback around pinching is underexplored due to a lack of means to provide co-located but different stimulation to […]
Biohybrid Devices: Prototyping Interactive Devices with Growable Materials Abstract Living bio-materials are increasingly used in HCI for fabricating objects by growing. However, how to integrate electronics to make these objects interactive still needs to be clarified. This paper presents an exploration of the fabrication design space of Biohybrid Interactive Devices, a class of interactive devices fabricated by merging electronic components and living organisms. From the […]
Design and Fabrication of Body-Based Interfaces (Demo of Saarland HCI Lab) This Interactivity shows live demonstrations of our lab’s most recent work on body-based interfaces. The soft, curved and deformable surface of the human body presents unique opportunities and challenges for interfaces. New form factors, materials and interaction techniques are required that move past the conventional rigid, planar and rectangular devices and the corresponding interaction […]
I Need a Third Arm! Eliciting Body-based Interactions with a Wearable Robotic Arm Abstract Wearable robotic arms (WRA) open up a unique interaction space that closely integrates the user’s body with an embodied robotic collaborator. This space affords diverse interaction styles, including body movement, hand gestures, or gaze. Yet, it is so-far unexplored which commands are desirable from a user perspective. Contributing findings from an […]
Handheld Tools Unleashed A Mixed-Initiative Physical Sketching with a Robotic Printer Abstract Personal fabrication has mostly focused on handheld tools as embodied extensions of the user, and machines like laser cutters and 3D printers automating parts of the process without intervention. Although interactive digital fabrication has been explored as a middle ground, existing systems have a fixed allocation of user intervention vs. machine autonomy, limiting […]
SparseIMU: Computational Design of Sparse IMU Layouts for Sensing Fine-Grained Finger Microgestures Abstract Gestural interaction with freehands and while grasping an everyday object enables always-available input. To sense such gestures, minimal instrumentation of the user’s hand is desirable. However, the choice of an effective but minimal IMU layout remains challenging, due to the complexity of the multi-factorial space that comprises diverse finger gestures, objects and […]
Interactive Bioplastics A DIY approach for composing soft interactive devices from bio-based and bio-degradable materials. Abstract Designers and makers are increasingly interested in leveraging bio-based and bio-degradable “do-it-yourself” (DIY) materials for sustainable prototyping. Their self-produced bioplastics possess compelling properties such as self-adhesion but have so far not been functionalized to create soft interactive devices, due to a lack of DIY techniques for the fabrication of […]
Print-A-Sketch A Handheld Printer for Physical Sketching of Circuits and Sensors on Everyday Surfaces We present Print-A-Sketch, an open-source handheld printer prototype for sketching circuits and sensors. Print-A-Sketch combines desirable properties from free-hand sketching and functional electronic printing. Manual human control of large strokes is augmented with computer control of fine detail. Shared control of Print-A-Sketch supports sketching interactive interfaces on everyday objects – including […]
Computational Design and Optimization of Electro-Physiological Sensors Abstract Electro-physiological sensing devices are becoming increasingly common in diverse applications. However, designing such sensors in compact form factors and for high-quality signal acquisition is a challenging task even for experts, is typically done using heuristics, and requires extensive training. Our work proposes a computational approach for designing multi-modal electro-physiological sensors. By employing an optimization-based approach alongside an […]
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