Published papers

Textiles have emerged as ubiquitous substrates for embedding information and enabling digital interaction. However, conventional visual markers often compromise garment aesthetics. This paper proposes a method to design and fabricate visually unobtrusive yet readable markers using near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing yarns. These yarns maintain visual consistency with standard fibers under ambient light while providing high contrast under NIR imaging. To enhance invisibility, we also explored four disguising methods: yarn plying, pattern decoying, inkjet overprinting, and post-dyeing. To evaluate our technique, we investigated both the invisibility and readability of woven markers through a preliminary user study and quantitative analysis of NIR imaging. Finally, we demonstrated a T-shirt prototype with a woven QR code, highlighting its potential for interactive applications.

We propose a method to fabricate objects composed of 3D printed flattened pieces with integrated zipper-like structures. The object is manually assembled into a 3D shape by connecting the zipper components. By employing a zipper design that allows for angle-independent connections between patches, our method enables both the surface and zipper components to be printed in the same orientation, resulting in high-quality reconstruction of the input model with a faster 3D printing process that wastes less material. We implement a fully automated pipeline that takes a 3D model as input, converts it into developable patches, generates the zipper structures, and flattens them for subsequent 3D printing. We demonstrate that our approach significantly reduces the fabrication time and support material consumption. We also present application examples that highlight the versatility of our method.

We propose a smartphone-based system that automatically suggests the suitable camera position and angle to a target object when we try to take a feature-rich photo of it. The system first captures a 3D mesh of the object using photogrammetry and virtually takes photos of the mesh from different positions and angles. Then, the system extracts and compares the keypoints of each virtual shot and outputs the one with the largest number of keypoints. We describe the system and demonstrate its effectiveness through examples.

Recent HCI research increasingly incorporates edible interfaces into system design, moving beyond conventional user interface paradigms. Within this trajectory, edible interaction designers treat food materials as interactive media that can be sensed and actuated across multiple sensory modalities. This workshop convenes perspectives from HCI, fabrication, perceptual science, and materials science to build community, align knowledge, and articulate future directions for the field. Through multisensory demonstrations and hands-on activities in an one-day workshop, we aim to balance technological interventions with human factors to chart the future of edible interactions.

In recent years, various summarization techniques have been proposed to address the increasing size of video data. However, most aim to compress information within the same modality, leading to inherent limitations in compression rates. Thus, to offset these effects, it is necessary to explore conversions to different modalities. In response, this study focuses on vignette illustrations, which are still-image illustrations that refine and visually express the narrative content of entertainment media, such as animated works or games. If video content can be transformed into vignette illustrations, it becomes possible to retain core visual information while achieving a significantly higher compression rate than conventional techniques. To this end, we propose the Video Image Generative Network, Transformed & Expanded (VigNette), a system that generates vignette illustrations from videos, supporting both semiautomated generation that reflects user preferences and automated generation without user input. Our experimental results demonstrate that VigNette can generate vignette illustrations suited to the content of a variety of anime videos. Furthermore, a user study confirmed that the system can visually represent the world perspective of each video. Further, our exploration into extending VigNette to include three-dimensional figure generations suggests such potential applications as the preservation of memorable scenes in a tangible form.

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.

Flower jellies, a delicate dessert in which a flower-shaped jelly floats inside another clear jelly, fascinate people with both their beauty and elaborate construction. In efforts to simplify the challenging fabrication and enrich the design space of this dessert, we present Flower Jelly Printer: a printing device and design software for digitally fabricating flower jellies. Our design software lets users play with parameters and preview the resulting forms until achieving their desired shapes. We also developed slit injection printing that directly injects colored jelly into a base jelly, and shared several design examples to show the breadth of design possibilities. We hope to enable more people to design and create their own flower jellies while expanding access and the design space for digitally fabricated foods.

Recently, planar pneumatic actuators, known as pouch motors, have gained attention in the fields of soft robotics and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). However, achieving complex 3D shapes by pouch motors has been hindered by two challenges: (1) the slow operating speed of customized CNC machines, conventionally used for pouch fabrication and (2) the lack of control over the folding angle of individual pouches. To overcome these limitations, (1')we introduce the use of a laser cutter to fabricate pouch motors. This approach enhances the fabrication process, enabling faster production of the pouch motors. Additionally, (2') we propose laser-welding patterns that incorporate small barriers to control the folding angle of each pouch. By manipulating the welding patterns, we achieve nearly linear control over the folding angle of the pouches. In this paper, we present the design and fabrication process of laser-welded planar pneumatic actuators and showcase several design examples.

We propose Pneumatic Laser Origami, a method to rapidly design and fabricate lightweight, self-foldable origami artifacts driven by planar pneumatic actuators called Pouch Motors [18]. Compared to prior methods of building Pouch Motors with customized equipment, we developed a technique to weld two thermoplastic sheets with an off-the-shelf, non-customized laser cutter. This resulted in (1) democratized, (2) faster (> 13 times faster compared to prior methods), and (3) large-scale (85 cm length at maximum) fabrication of shape-changing products. Also, we achieved a method to linearly control the maximum folding angle of Pouch Motors (0◦ < 6 < 95.3◦) by welding extra protrusion patterns, which contributed to driving multiple Pouch Motors with one pneumatic input. To leverage these benefits, we developed the software that takes the target 3D mesh as input and inversely generates a 2D welding pattern for Pouch Motors. Finally, we demonstrated several design examples and applications using our method.

Origami/kirigami robotics are opening a path that leads to lightweight, compact, and expandable robots. However, it is generally challenging to design agile motions for origami/kirigami robots due to their size and the intrinsic limitation of the materials. In this paper, we propose to use the bistability of the waterbomb base structure to generate the swift motion of the robots. We evaluate the bistability of the waterbomb-based structure and build origami jumpers with different configurations of the body to help analyze the behavior of the waterbomb base bistable structure. The jumper is actuated by a phase change liquid pouch actuator. Our jumper is lightweight (0.3 g), flattenable, and able to jump to more than 12 times of its diameter and 112 times of its height.

Origami is widely used in tangible input interfaces for diverse shapes and haptic feedback. However, the design and fabrication process of origami is labor-intensive, and building circuits on it is often unstable as they can easily be broken during iterative folding processes. We propose a fabrication method that helps users quickly design and fabricate haptic origami interfaces with electric sensing. By extending the previous 4D printing method [16], we developed a design software that can generate both a pattern of self-foldable shape and a pattern of circuitry. In the software, two kirigami hinges and five shape modules are available for users. Kirigami hinges protect the circuits from damage and achieve deformation sensing during the iterative folding process. Five shape modules have different haptic capabilities for different use cases.We summarized the fabrication process and designed three applications to validate our proposed method.

OriStitch is a computational fabrication workflow to turn existing flat fabrics into self-folding 3D structures. It uses machine embroidering of functional threads in specific patterns on fabrics, users then apply heat to deform the structure into a target 3D structure. OriStitch is compatible with a range of existing materials (e.g., leather, woven fabric, and denim).We present the design of specific embroidered hinges that fully close under exposure to heat. We discuss the stitch pattern design, thread and fabric selection, and heating conditions. To allow users to create 3D textiles using our hinges, we create a tool to convert 3D meshes to 2D stitch patterns automatically, as well as an end-to-end fabrication and actuation workflow. To validate this workflow, we designed and fabricated a range of application models consisting of up to 338 hinges each (the cap of Figure 1, a handbag, and a vase cover).In technical evaluation, we found that our tool successfully converted 26/28 models found in related papers. We also demonstrate the folding performance across different materials (suede leather, cork, Neoprene, and felt).

Most of the electric and electronic circuits around us are flat, and ap plying themtodiverse 3Dsurfaces is challenging. This is because (1) printed circuit boards (PCBs) are generally non-stretchable and can not fit doubly curved surfaces, and (2) folding PCBs into non-planar origami geometries requires enormous time and manual effort. To overcome these limitations, we propose 4D Leaf Circuits, a method to automatically fold complex 3D circuits solely through inkjet printing and conductive leaf transfer. We extended the existing 4D printing method using an inkjet printer and added a primer ink layer. This layer worksasanadhesiveforconductiveleaftransferon selected surface areas. Different from previous work on 4D printed circuits, our method does not require an additional screen printing process of conductive ink or any other modification to the printer, which contributes to faster and easier fabrication of 3D objects with circuits. To identify the materials with robust mechanical and electrical properties, we investigated multiple heat-shrinkable films for shape change and conductive leaves for circuits. We also devel oped an algorithm that generates optimal circuit layouts, avoiding mountain folds and minimizing path length. To demonstrate the feasibility of our method, we built three design examples of an in teractive touch-sensing toy, a custom-made mouse, and a portable glow bangle reacting to the user's motion.

Fabrics are fundamental elements of our daily lives, which are woven, knitted, or embroidered into diverse products like clothing and furniture. Recent advances in materials science and digital fabrication have enabled us to fabricate personalized and responsive fabric products computationally and interactively, which we call “computational tailor-making.” In this workshop, we will build an interdisciplinary network of researchers on computational tailor-making and discuss (1) computational fabric design, (2) novel fabric fabrication tools, (3) shape-changing fabrics, and (4) sustainable fabric production, from the viewpoint of HCI. The workshop session will help attendees build a shared vision, recognize potential challenges, find unexpected solutions and ideas, collaborate beyond disciplines, and explore the possible connection to industries.

We propose an algorithm to interactively design freeform balancing toys that stably balance on a single point of contact. We achieve this by positioning the center of mass outside the model’s surface while deforming the external surface. Our approach relies on a simple energy function that is fast to evaluate and optimize, allowing an interactive design process. The results confirm the feasibility of creating stable balancing toys via standard 3D printing, expanding the possibilities for mechanical design.

Despite the recent trend of computational origami for human-computer interaction (HCI) and digital fabrication, it is still difficult for designers to complete a series of design, simulation, and fabrication of objects leveraging computational origami theory. In this paper, we propose Crane, an integrated origami design platform implemented with Grasshopper. With this platform, users can seamlessly (1) design the 2D and 3D crease pattern, (2) simulate 3D folding transformation from the given crease pattern, (3) inversely find a new pattern under design constraints, (4) thicken the 2D pattern into a 3D volume along with the appropriate hinge structures for different fabrication methods, and (5) optionally connect the resulting design to other Rhinoceros or Grasshopper plugins for post-processes. To help understand how to use our system and demonstrate its feasibility, we showed three examples of origami products designed using our system. We also reported user feedback from the workshop as an evaluation.