Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Shape-changing interfaces

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The design of physical interfaces has been constrained by the relative akinesis of the material world. Current advances in materials science promise to change this. In this paper, we present a foundation for the design of shape-changing surfaces in human–computer interaction. We provide a survey of shape-changing materials and their primary dynamic properties, define the concept of soft mechanics within an HCI context, and describe a soft mechanical alphabet that provides the kinetic foundation for the design of four design probes: Surflex, SpeakCup, Sprout I/O, and Shutters. These probes explore how individual soft mechanical elements can be combined to create large-scale transformable surfaces, which can alter their topology, texture, and permeability. We conclude by providing application themes for shape-changing materials in HCI and directions for future work.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berzowska J, Coelho M (2005) Kukkia and vilkas: kinetic electronic garments. In: The proceedings of the symposium on wearable computers (ISWC’05). IEEE, pp 82–85

  2. Cassinelli A et al (2005) Khronos projector. In: Extended proceedings of SIGGRAPH

  3. Coelho M (2007) Programming the material world: a proposition for the application and design of transitive materials. The 9th international conference on ubiquitous computing (Ubicomp ‘07), Innsbruck, Austria

  4. Coelho M, Maes P (2008) Sprout I/O: a texturally rich interface. In: The proceedings of tangible and embedded interaction (TEI’08). ACM Press, Bonn

  5. Coelho M, Ishii H, Maes P (2008) Surflex: a programmable surface for the design of tangible interfaces. In: The extended abstracts of conference on human factors in computing systems (CHI ‘08). ACM, Florence

  6. Coelho M, Maes P (2009) Shutters: a permeable surface for environmental control and communication. In the 3rd tangible and embedded interaction conference (TEI ‘09). Cambridge, UK: ACM Press

  7. Fan J-N, Schodek D (2007) Personalized furniture within the condition of mass production. The 9th international conference on ubiquitous computing (Ubicomp ‘07). Innsbruck, Austria

  8. Goulthorpe M (2000) Hyposurface. From http://hyposurface.org/. Retrieved 30 Aug 2008

  9. Strandh S (1988) Christopher polhem and his mechanical alphabet. Tech cult 10:143–168

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hutchins EL et al (1986) Direct manipulation interfaces. In user centered system design. Lawrence, Erlbaum

    Google Scholar 

  11. Interrante V, Fuchs H, Pizer SM (1997) Conveying the 3D shape of smoothly curving transparent surfaces via texture. IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph 3:98–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lynn G (1999) Animate form: a book & interactive CD-ROM. Architectural Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  13. Michelitsch G, Williams J, Osen M, Jimenez B, Rapp S (2004) Haptic chameleon: a new concept of shape-changing user interface controls with force feedback. In: The extended abstracts on human factors in computing systems (CHI ‘04). ACM Press, Vienna, pp 1305–1308

  14. Norman D (1990) The design of everyday things. Doubleday/Currency, New York

    Google Scholar 

  15. Poupyrev I, Nashida T, Okabe M (2007) Actuation and tangible user interfaces: the vaucanson duck, robots, and shape displays. In: Proceedings of TEI’07. ACM, pp 205–212

  16. Raffle H, Ishii H, Tichenor J (2004) Super cilia skin: a textural membrane. Text J Cloth Culture 2(3):328–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Raffle HS, Parkes AJ, Ishii H (2004) Topobo: a constructive assembly system with kinetic memory. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM Press, Vienna, pp 647–654

  18. Taylor M (2003) Surface consciousness: surface-talk. Architectural design, p 73

  19. Thompson D (1992) On growth and form. In: Bonner JT (ed) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

  20. Trimmer BA, Takesian AE, Sweet BM, Rogers CB, Hake DC, Rogers DJ (2006) Caterpillar locomotion: a new model for soft-bodied climbing and burrowing robots. In: The 7th international symposium on technology and the mine problem. Mine Warfare Association, Monterey, CA

  21. Zigelbaum J, Chang A, Gouldstone J, Monzen JJ, Ishii, H (2008) SpeakCup: simplicity, BABL, and shape change. In: The proceedings of the second international conference on tangible and embedded interaction (TEI’08). Bonn, German

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank everybody who in some way or another helped with this work. Specifically, we would like to acknowledge the work of Analisa Russo, Elly Jessop, Josh Kopin, Katie Puckett, and Najiyah Edun in helping physically build the prototypes described here; Pattie Maes for the intellectual support and inspiration; the Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab for the innumerous suggestions on how to improve this work; and finally Joanna Berzowska, Kent Larson, Mette Thomsen, and Steve Helsing for all of their initial suggestions, collaborations, and providing some of the original sources of inspiration for this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St., E14-548H, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Marcelo Coelho & Jamie Zigelbaum

Authors
  1. Marcelo Coelho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jamie Zigelbaum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcelo Coelho.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Coelho, M., Zigelbaum, J. Shape-changing interfaces. Pers Ubiquit Comput 15, 161–173 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-010-0311-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-010-0311-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation