Angela Chang

ComTouch: design of a vibrotactile communication device

We describe the design of ComTouch, a device that augments remote voice communication with touch, by converting hand pressure into vibrational intensity between users in real-time. The goal of this work is to enrich inter-personal communication by complementing voice with a tactile channel. We present preliminary user studies performed on 24 people to observe possible uses of the tactile channel when used in conjunction with audio. By recording and examining both audio and tactile data, we found strong relationships between the two communication channels. Our studies show that users developed an encoding system similar to that of Morse code, as well as three original uses: emphasis, mimicry, and turn-taking. We demonstrate the potential of the tactile channel to enhance the existing voice communication channel.

LumiTouch: an emotional communication device

We present the Lumitouch system consisting of a pair of interactive picture frames. When one user touches her picture frame, the other picture frame lights up. This touch is translated to light over an Internet connection. We introduce a semi-ambient display that can transition seamlessly from periphery to foreground in addition to communicating emotional content. In addition to enhancing the communication between loved ones, people can use LumiTouch to develop a personal emotional language.Based upon prior work on telepresence and tangible interfaces, LumiTouch explores emotional communication in tangible form. This paper describes the components, interactions, implementation and design approach of the LumiTouch system.

Audio-haptic feedback in mobile phones

A new breed of mobile phones has been designed to enable concurrent vibration and audio stimulation, or audio-haptics. This paper aims to share techniques for creating and optimizing audio-haptic effects to enhance the user interface.The authors present audio manipulation techniques specific to the multifunction transducer (MFT) technology. In particular two techniques, the Haptic Inheritance and Synthesis and Matching methods are discussed. These two methods of haptic media generation allow simple creation of vibration content, and also allow for compatibility with non-haptic mobile devices.The authors present preliminary results of an evaluation of 42 participants comparing audio-based haptic user interface (UI) feedback with audio-only feedback. The results show that users were receptive to audio-haptic UI feedback. The results also suggest that audio-haptics seems to enhance the perception of audio quality.

Real-time social touch gesture recognition for sensate robots

This paper describes the hardware and algorithms for a realtime social touch gesture recognition system. Early experiments involve a Sensate Bear test-rig with full body touch sensing, sensor visualization and gesture recognition capabilities. Algorithms are based on real humans interacting with a plush bear. In developing a preliminary gesture library with thirteen Symbolic Gestures and eight Touch Subtypes, we have taken the first steps toward a Robotic Touch API, showing that the Huggable robot behavior system will be able to stream currently active sensors to detect regional social gestures and local sub-gestures in realtime. The system demonstrates the infrastructure to detect three types of touching: social touch, local touch, and sensor-level touch.

SpeakCup: simplicity, BABL , and shape change

In this paper we present SpeakCup, a simple tangible interface that uses shape change to convey meaning in its interaction design. SpeakCup is a voice recorder in the form of a soft silicone disk with embedded sensors and actuators. Advances in sensor technology and material science have provided new ways for users to interact with computational devices. Rather than issuing commands to a system via abstract and multi-purpose buttons the door is open for more nuanced and application-specific approaches. Here we explore the coupling of shape and action in an interface designed for simplicity while discussing some questions that we have encountered along the way.

Sensorial interfaces

Sensorial interfaces are based on augmenting existing physical objects with digital information. We propose sensorial activity theory to relate multi-sensory mappings to the context of device physicality and rituals of use. We share a design process for creating sensorial mappings, relationships between digital information and sensory information. We present and analyze some design projects: musicBottles, LumiTouch and comTouch, which illustrate the idea of sensorial interfaces. By utilizing the physical constraints of an object and creating sensorial mappings these devices offer novel ways for efficiently interacting with digital information. We believe the principal result enhances the users sensory experience of the object. Finally, we discuss perspectives and limitations of our sensorial interface design process.

An Audio-Haptic Aesthetic Framework Influenced by Visual Theory

Sound is touch at a distance. The vibration of pressure waves in the air creates sounds that our ears hear, at close range, these pressure waves may also be felt as vibration. This audio-haptic relationship has potential for enriching interaction in human-computer interfaces. How can interface designers manipulate attention using audio-haptic media? We propose a theoretical perceptual framework for design of audio-haptic media, influenced by aesthetic frameworks in visual theory and audio design. The aesthetic issues of the multimodal interplay between audio and haptic modalities are presented, with discussion based on anecdotes from multimedia artists. We use the aesthetic theory to develop four design mechanisms for transition between audio and haptic channels:synchronization, temporal linearization, maskingandsynchresis. An example composition using these mechanisms, and the multisensory design intent, is discussed by the designers.

Simplicity in interaction design

Attaining simplicity is a key challenge in interaction design. Our approach relies on a minimalist design exercise to explore the communication capacity for interaction components. This approach results in expressive design solutions, useful perspectives of interaction design and new interaction techniques.

Pragmatic haptics

This paper explores situations in which interfaces may be improved or simplified by switching feedback modalities. Due to availability of and familiarity with audio/visual technologies, many interfaces provide feedback via audio/visual pathways when a haptic pathway would best serve. The authors present a series of interface designs in which simple and inexpensive choices allow for reduction of cognitive complexity by allowing mental simplicity rather than technological familiarity to dictate design of information transmission.

Textual tinkerability: encouraging storytelling behaviors to foster emergent literacy

This paper presents textual tinkerability, a new concept for fostering early literacy skills during parent-child reading. Textual tinkerability maps storytelling gestures to changes in animation and text to assist reading exploration and demonstration of the link between text, spoken word, and concept. TinkRBooks are flexible tablet-based storybooks that allow readers to actively explore concepts in text using textual tinkerability. When reading TinkRBooks, both parents and children can alter text (character attributes and parts of speech) by manipulating story elements (props and characters) as they read. We demonstrate how textual tinkerability encourages more dialog, print referencing and dialogic questioning between parent-child dyads in shared reading as compared to paper books. In addition, our study reports observations of storytelling performance behaviors that foster playful and socially intimate shared reading behaviors that are closely mapped to the teaching and learning of emergent literacy skills.