Interactive Matters

Research Vision

New technologies have given us a variety of ways to make things interactive. Examples are materials that can sense things, make sounds, and change shape or texture. The cluster’s vision is to use these technologies to create adaptive interactive systems that truly meet the needs and abilities of humans and other beings, using all their senses.

The cluster wants to realize its vision by doing design experiments that use these new technologies in specific contexts. These projects are, however, not about making a product or application – they are fundamental investigations into how humans and other beings interact with systems. The goal is to produce insights, methodologies and tools that help designers with little technical knowledge to creatively use the new technologies in their designs.

Research Identity

Tangible and Embodied Interaction, as well as Aesthetics of Interaction, have been flagship areas of ID. The cluster takes these areas to the next level by incorporating new technologies such as active materials, advanced sensing, soft robotics, and artificial intelligence. This makes it possible to develop toolkits and prototypes that create a meaningful experience. Together with scientists from various disciplines, the cluster develops embodied intelligent systems that form a future experience environment where humans and biological and digital non-humans can live together peacefully and respectfully.

The Ripple Thermostat explores how changing shapes and textures can be used in user-system interaction. A co-design study with users showed that a touch-based dialogue between user and system can create a meaningful and emotionally charged experience. The project produced insights and design tools that can be used for prototyping with shape and texture change in different contexts.

The cluster created a wearable sock with fabric sensors that notice certain changes in the skin. Without needing unpleasant measuring instruments, the sock can tell medical staff when patients who cannot communicate feel pain. The patient can then receive pain relief and necessary medical treatment. The project shows how we can use a new technology to design an ordinary object such as a sock that can do sophisticated things.