PEOPLE / Prof. Dr. Jürgen Steimle

Fax: +49 (0)681 302 70155
Office Hours: By Appointment


PEOPLE / Prof. Dr. Jürgen Steimle

Lab Director

Jürgen Steimle is a full professor (W3) at the Department of Computer Science at Saarland University and Saarland Informatics Campus. He directs the Human-Computer Interaction and Interactive Technologies Lab. He is also the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Previously, he held positions as Independent Research Group Leader (W2) at Saarland University (2013-2016) and Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (2013-2018). From 2012 to 2014, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Darmstadt University of Technology.

His research investigates embedded and embodied user interfaces that seamlessly merge with the physical world and the human body, to enable more effective, expressive, and engaging interactions with computers and interactive devices. His current focus areas include flexible sensors and displays, on-body interaction and wearable computing, touch and haptic interfaces, digital fabrication and new materials for interaction.

He is serving as co-chair and member of program committees for major international conferences, including positions as program chair at UIST 2023 and TEI 2017, general chair at ACM ISS 2017, and workshops track chair for CHI 2014 and CHI 2015. From 2018-2020 he was the Dean of Studies for Computer Science at Saarland University.

CONTACT

Email: last name (at) cs.uni-saarland.de
Phone: +49 (0)681 302 71080 (Administrative assistant Anne Bardesono-Köpsel), direct extension -71081
Fax: +49 (0)681 302 70155
Office: Building E1.7, Room 2.23
Office Hours:
By appointment
 

SELECTED RESEARCH

SoftBioMorph: Fabricating Sustainable Shape-changing Interfaces using Soft Biopolymers Abstract Bio-based and bio-degradable materials have shown promising results for sustainable Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) applications, including shape-changing interfaces. However, the diversity o...more
Shaping Compliance Inducing Haptic Illusion of Compliance in Different Shapes with Electrotactile Grains Abstract Compliance, the degree of displacement under applied force, is pivotal in determining the material perception when touching an object. Vibrotactile actuators can be used ...more
Electrotactile Compliance IllusionClient Review :
(CHI 2024)
Image of Flextiles smocking open and then closed
Flextiles Designing Customisable Shape-Change in Textiles with SMA-Actuated Smocking Patterns Abstract Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) afford the seamless integration of shape-changing behaviour into textiles, enabling designers to augment apparel with dynamic shaping and styling. However, exi...more
FlextilesClient Review :
(CHI 2024)
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 rem...more
WRLKitClient Review :
(UIST 2023)
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 gras...more
Double-Sided Tactile InteractionsClient Review :
(UIST 2023)
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 ...more
Biohybrid DevicesClient Review :
(UIST 2023)
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 interfa...more
Design and Fabrication of Body-based InterfacesClient Review :
(CHI 2023 Lab Demo)
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, inclu...more
I Need a Third ArmClient Review :
(CHI 2023)
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...more
RoboSketchClient Review :
(CHI 2023)
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. T...more
Interactive BioplasticsClient Review :
(UIST 2022)
Next Steps in Epidermal Computing Opportunities and Challenges For Soft On-Skin Devices Abstract Skin is a promising interaction medium and has been widely explored for mobile, and expressive interaction. Recent research in HCI has seen the development of Epidermal Computing Devic...more
Next Steps in Epidermal ComputingClient Review :
(CHI 2022)
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 ...more
Print-A-SketchClient Review :
(CHI 2022)
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 challeng...more
Computational Design of Physiological SensorsClient Review :
(Nature Communications)
Weirding Haptics In-Situ Prototyping of Vibrotactile Feedback in Virtual Reality through Vocalization Effective haptic feedback in virtual reality (VR) is an essential element for creating convincing immersive experiences. To design such feedback, state-of-the-art VR setups provide ...more
Weirding HapticsClient Review :
(UIST 2021)
bARefoot Generating Virtual Materials using Motion Coupled Vibration in Shoes Many features of materials can be experienced through tactile cues, even using one’s feet. For example, one can easily distinguish between moss and stone without looking at the ground. However, this type o...more
bARefootClient Review :
(UIST 2020)
Soft Inkjet Circuits Rapid Multi-Material Fabrication of Soft Circuits Using a Commodity Inkjet Printer Despite the increasing popularity of soft interactive devices, their fabrication remains complex and time consuming. We contribute a process for rapid do-it-yourself fabrication of soft ci...more
Skills : Best Paper Award
Soft Inkjet CircuitsClient Review :
(UIST 2019)
Capricate Click here to view the project page
CapricateClient Review :
(UIST 2015)
Tacttoo A Thin and Feel-Through Tattoo for On-Skin Tactile Output Tacttoo is a feel-through interface for electro-tactile output on the user’s skin. Integrated in a temporary tattoo with a thin and conformal form factor, it can be applied on complex body geometries, including the fingertip...more
TacttooClient Review :
(UIST 2018)
SkinMarks Enabling Interactions on Body Landmarks Using Conformal Skin Electronics The body provides many recognizable landmarks due to the underlying skeletal structure and variations in skin texture, elasticity, and color. The visual and spatial cues of such body landmarks can help in l...more
SkinMarksClient Review :
(CHI 2017)
IEEE-Computer-Steimle-Skin
Skin—The Next User InterfaceClient Review :
(IEEE Computer 2016)
iSkin Flexible, Stretchable and Visually Customizable On-Body Touch Sensors for Mobile Computing We propose iSkin, a novel class of skin-worn sensors for touch input on the body. iSkin is a very thin sensor overlay, made of biocompatible materials, and is flexible and stretchable. It can be ...more
Skills : Best Paper Award
iSkinClient Review :
(CHI 2015)
Foldio Digital Fabrication of Interactive and ShapeChanging Objects With Foldable Printed Electronics Foldios are foldable interactive objects with embedded input sensing and output capabilities. Foldios combine the advantages of folding for thin, lightweight and shape-changing objects wi...more
Skills : Best Paper Award
FoldioClient Review :
(UIST 2015)
More Than Touch Understanding How People Use Skin as an Input Surface for Mobile Computing This paper contributes results from an empirical study of on-skin input, an emerging technique for controlling mobile devices. Skin is fundamentally different from off-body touch surfaces, opening up...more
More Than TouchClient Review :
(CHI 2014)
PrintScreen Fabricating Highly Customizable Thin-film Touch-Displays PrintScreen is an enabling technology for digital fabrication of customized flexible displays using thin-film electroluminescence (TFEL). It enables inexpensive and rapid fabrication of highly customized displays in ...more
Skills : Best Paper Award
PrintScreenClient Review :
(UIST 2014)
Flexpad Highly Flexible Bending Interactions for Projected Handheld Displays Flexpad is an interactive system that combines a depth camera and a projector to transform sheets of plain paper or foam into flexible, highly deformable and spatially aware handheld displays. We pr...more
Skills : Honorable Mention Award
FlexpadClient Review :
(CHI 2013)
Pen-and-Paper User Interfaces Integrating printed and digital documents Abstract Even at the beginning of the 21st century, we are far from becoming paperless. Pen and paper is still the only truly ubiquitous information processing technology. Pen-and-paper user interfaces bridge the gap...more
Pen-and-Paper User InterfacesClient Review :
(Monograph, 2012)
Algorithmic Mechanism Design University of Freiburg 2005-2006 Abstract Computer systems with decentralized control structures, such as the internet or peer-to-peer and grid computing, are of growing importance. Their key characteristics are not only those of computer systems, but also ...more
Algorithmic Mechanism DesignClient Review :
(Monograph, 2008)

 

 

CURRENT AND PAST PHD STUDENTS

 

CURRENT AND PAST POST-DOCS

 

SELECTED AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

  • ERC Starting Grant 2016
  • Holder of the Francqui Chair 2016 at Hasselt University, Belgium (invited guest professor)
  • Best Paper Awards at ACM UIST 2022, 2019 (2x), ACM ISS 2018, ACM CHI 2015, ACM UIST 2015, ACM UIST 2014, IEEE ICALT 2008, DeLFI 2007
  • Best Paper Honorable Mention Awards at CHI 2019 (2x), CHI 2016, CHI 2015, CHI 2013
  • CHI’23 People’s Choice Best Demo Award
  • Google Faculty Research Award 2015
  • Germany Land of Ideas – Landmark 2015 [Deutschland Land der Ideen – Ausgewählter Ort 2015]
  • Best Computer Science Dissertation Award 2009 by the German Informatics Society (GI), the Swiss Informatics Society (SI), the Austrian Computer Society (OCG) and the German Chapter of the ACM (the most prestigious award for dissertations in computer science in the German-speaking countries)
  • Full scholarship of the German National Merit Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) 2002-2006

 

TEACHING

  • Core Lecture Human-Computer Interaction (9CP), in winter semesters
  • Lecture Interactive Systems (6CP), in summer semesters
  • Lecture Programming for Engineers (8CP), summer semester 2018
  • Advanced Lecture Physical Computing (6CP), in winter semester 2016/17
  • Lecture User Interface Design (9CP), in summer semester 2016
  • Seminars (7CP) on various topics, including AR/VR, Interactive Skin, Interactive Digital Fabrication, Physical Computing, Developing Embedded Interactive Systems, Embodied Interaction

 

CHAIRING AND ORGANIZATION

  • ACM UIST 2023 Program Chair
  • ACM TEI 2017 Program Chair
  • ACM ISS 2017 General Chair
  • ACM CHI 2024 Interactivity Jury
  • ACM UIST 2020 Doctoral Consortium Chair
  • ACM UIST 2018 Awards Chair
  • ACM CHI 2015 Workshops Track Chair
  • ACM ITS 2014 Doctoral Consortium Chair
  • ACM CHI 2014 Workshops Track Chair
  • ACM MobileHCI 2014 Workshops Track Chair
  • ACM ITS 2012 Demos Chair
  • Guest Editor of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (ToCHI) 2021 special issue “Digital Touch: Reshaping interpersonal communicative capacity and social touch practices” (with Sara Price, Carey Jewitt, Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze)
  • Guest Editor of the Informatik Spektrum special issue “Interaction Beyond the Desktop” (with Eva Hornecker and Albrecht Schmidt)
  • Organizer of 6th Summer School on Computational Interaction 2022 (with Anna Maria Feit)
  • Organizer of Dagstuhl Seminar “On-Body Interaction” 2018 (with Kasper Hornbaek, David Kirsh, Joe Paradiso)
  • Organizer of European Tangible Interaction Studio (ETIS) 2017 Summer School (with Dimitra Anastasiou, Valerie Maquil)
  • Organizer of ACM UbiComp 2016 Workshop “UnderWare: Aesthetic, Expressive, and Functional On-Skin Technologies” (with Joe Paradiso, Chris Schmandt, Katia Vega, Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, Rebecca Kleinberger, Xin Liu, Jie Qi, Asta Roseway, Ali K. Yetisen, Martin Weigel)
  • Organizer of ACM CHI 2013 Workshop “Displays Take New Shape: An Agenda for Future Interactive Surfaces” (with Hrvoje Benko, Alvaro Cassinelli, Hiroshi Ishii, Daniel Leithinger, Pattie Maes, Ivan Poupyrev)
  • Organizer of ACM CHI 2013 Special Interest Group “Visions and Visioning in CHI” (with Aaron Quigley, Alan Dix, Wendy Mackay, Hiroshi Ishii)
  • Organizer of Dagstuhl Seminar “Interaction Beyond the Desktop” 2012 (with Alan Dix, James D. Hollan, Albrecht Schmidt)
  • Organizer of ACM ITS 2012 Tutorial and Workshop “Beyond Flat Displays: Towards Shaped and Deformable Interactive Surfaces” (with Daniel Leithinger, Pol Pla, Pattie Maes)
  • Organizer of Mensch&Computer 2010 Workshop “Be-greifbare Interaktionen” [Tangible Interactions]
  • Organizer of Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Technology-enhanced Learning (IATEL) 2009 (with Max Mühlhäuser, Werner Sesink, Andreas Kaminski)

 

PROGRAM COMMITTEES AND SCIENTIFIC BOARDS

  • Editorial Board of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), since 2024
  • ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI) 2022
  • Member of Scientific Advisory Board of Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM), since 2019
  • ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI) 2021
  • Augmented Humans (AHs) Conference 2020
  • ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI) 2019
  • Mensch & Computer 2018 Conference
  • ACM UIST User Interface Software and Technology Symposium (UIST) 2017
  • Conference on Augmented Human (AH) 2016
  • Mensch & Computer 2016 Conference
  • Intl. Symposium on Pervasive Displays (PerDis) 2016
  • ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI) 2015
  • ACM UIST User Interface Software and Technology Symposium (UIST) 2015
  • IEEE Intl. Conference on RFID 2015
  • Intl. Symposium on Pervasive Displays (PerDis) 2015
  • Conference on Augmented Human (AH) 2015
  • Mensch & Computer 2015 Conference
  • ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI) 2014
  • ACM Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces Conference (ITS) 2014
  • Intl. Symposium on Pervasive Displays (PerDis) 2014
  • Mensch & Computer 2014 Conference
  • ACM Intl. Conference on Multimedia (MM) 2013
  • ACM CHI 2013 Workshops Track
  • Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (TEI) 2013
  • Conference on Augmented Human (AH) 2013
  • Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI) 2013 Posters and Demos Track
  • Mensch & Computer 2013 Conference
  • ACM Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces Conference (ITS) 2011
  • ACM Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces Conference (ITS) 2010