News

ATLAS Institute's Unstable Design Lab, directed by Laura Devendorf, will host its third experimental weaving residency this spring to develop techniques and open-source resources that support collaboration and innovation across the fiber arts and engineering communities. New this year, the lab will actively work to grow community at the intersection of craft and technology through inviting interested parties to attend a series of experimental weaving talks.

Like many people across Colorado, Peter Gyory spent the height of the COVID-19 pandemic sitting at home with nothing to do. Then the ATLAS-based PhD candidate and game designer looked around his apartment: “I was surrounded by cardboard. I thought: ‘How could I make a game out of that?’”

Researchers from ATLAS Institute's Unstable Design, THING, Living Matter and Superhuman Computing labs presented four papers, including three that received “Honorable Mention” awards, at the ACM conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS '22).

In May 2022, Asemics Magazine published a "Report from Joel E. Swanson," in which Swanson reports on two projects that are visually quite distinct, while both include the representation of linguistic characters and provoke thoughtful reflection on the ways we use language.

Prior psychology findings show humans can communicate distinct emotions solely through touch. In this award-winning work presented at DIS'22, THING Lab researchers hypothesize that similar effects might also be apply to robotic touch.

Exploring biofoam as a Material for Tangible Interaction, authored by Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez, Netta Ofer, Shanel Wu, Mary Etta West, Mirela Alistar and Laura Devendorf introduced the DIS audience to biofoam, a water soluble and biodegradable material that can be made conductive.

“An Introduction to Weave Structure for HCI: A How-to and Reflection on Modes of Exchange,” authored by Assistant Professor Laura Devendorf, director of the Unstable Design Lab, Sasha De Koninck, an ATLAS-affiliated PhD candidate, and Etta Sandry, weaver-in-residence, received a “Best Pictorial Honorable Mention” award at the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS '22).

“Knitting Access: Exploring Stateful Textiles with People with Disabilities,” authored by Annika Muehlbradt (PhD Comp. Sci’22) and researchers Shaun Kane, director of the Superhuman Computing Lab, Laura Devendorf director of the Unstable Design Lab, and Gregory Whiting, associate professor of mechanical engineering, won a DIS’22 Honorable Mention award.

ATLAS PhD student Peter Gyory's research aims to bridge the gap between game developers and Alt Controls through the use of everyday materials and crafting techniques.

In this paper, ATLAS PhD student Sandra Bae discusses the current challenges of data physicalization and addresses three areas where data physicalization can aid other research thrusts: broadening participation, supporting analytics and promoting creative expression. The paper exemplifies each approach through the lens of the author’s work.