AxLab - Actuated Experience Lab

Ran Zhou @ranzhoubot, a former visiting PhD student, is presenting Shape-Kit, a design toolkit for crafting on-body expressive haptics, in #CHI2025 now held in Yokohama, Japan. The paper won the Honorable Mention Award. Today is the last day for the demo - you can't miss it!

We’re less than 10 days away from #TEI2026 to be held at @UChicago and @msichicago !!! 🎉 @tei_conf If you haven’t registered yet, please do so—badges will be printed early next week, and the full program is available now: programs.sigchi.org/tei/2026/progr… Registered for the in-person conference but not for a studio? Sign up! We have a wonderful lineup of hands-on, tangible studio programs to be held on March 8th (Sun), at Griffin MSI. List of Studio Programs: tei.acm.org/2026/participa… Local but not fully registered? Consider the Demo & Art Reception ticket ($120)! Experience cutting-edge technology, interactive demos, and artwork in person, to be held on March 9th (Mon), also at Griffin MSI. You can also sign up for a Studio-only ticket ($100+)! Joining us from afar? Grab a VIRTUAL ticket ($50)! We'll offer streaming and archiving of all talk sessions (including the special 20th TEI panel), plus live interaction for the talk session and Demo/Poster/SDC programs. Hybrid Experience Info: tei.acm.org/2026/attend/hy… Registration Info: tei.acm.org/2026/attend/re…

If you’re attending #TEI2026, go sign up for @AxLab_UChicago’s studio “Attention Preserving Tangible Interfaces”! Anup will lead a hands-on workshop on resisting the attention economy through interactive devices—& you’ll build/speculate one, too! details: axlab-uofc.github.io/preserving-att…

Attention Receipts (led by @AxLab_UChicago's PhD student, Anup Sathya) has been selected as the Winner of this year’s @FastCompany by Design Awards – Student Category! It also received the Linda Tischer Award, recognizing the rising design talent. Congratulations, Anup! 🎉

#UIST2025 Come to "Interacting with Robots" session TODAY 11am-12:30pm at Sydney - 2 papers from @AxLab_UChicago , Buoyancé and Shape n' Swarm, will be presented!

.@AxLab_UChicago will present TWO papers at #UIST2025. Both will be demonstrated during the Monday reception - so don't miss the demo! Both talks will take place at the end of Wednesday's session, "Interacting with Robots," so you can't miss them!

👇Check this article highlighting the #UIST2025 programs from @UChicagoCS! Excited for everything, but especially looking forward to the Vision Talk by @plopesresearch! 'UChicago CS Researchers Expand the Boundaries of Interface Technology at UIST 2025' cs.uchicago.edu/news/uchicago-…

Day 1 Exhibit by @UChicago in @ArsElectronica just opened! Please come stop by at POST CITY!

We are thrilled to present Buoyancé — a mid-air actuated Tangible UI that employs mobile robots, reeling helium-inflated balloons 🎈🤖 🎈🤖 🎈 It uniquely transforms everyday space into dynamic mid-air 3D displays and interactions! to be presented at #UIST2025 @AxLab_UChicago

We present Shape n’ Swarm at #UIST2025 🎉 — a new approach where hand manipulation + natural language flexibly control actuated, robotic Tangible UIs — essentially a multi-robotic, mobile system 🫳🤖💻 @AxLab_UChicago

Excited to share that @AxLab_UChicago will present TWO #UIST2025 papers, Shape n' Swarm🫳🤖💻 + Buoyancé🫴🎈🤖 Both exploring novel approaches to enrich our physical environments with interactive, multi, mobile robot systems 🚀🚀🚀 (more posts following!

@AxLab_UChicago's Attention Receipts (presented in CHI2024) was awarded Student Runner-Up for the Core77 Design Award in the Lifestyle Accessories category. Congrats, Anup! core77designawards.awardsplatform.com/gallery/yllorO…

Congrats to the graduating AxLab members, Yifan, Alan, Harriet, and Lilith!!!

Our Shape-Kit Interactivity Demo received the Jury Honorable Mention!!! @dleithinger @ken0324 @MadelineBalaam 🥳 Thanks @koya_narumi and the jury!!

Shape-Kit Demo DONE!!! @dleithinger @ken0324 Thanks everyone for visiting and playing with us 🟨🟨🟨 #CHI2025

Received my first CHI Honorable Mention Award with my dearest advisors @MadelineBalaam @dleithinger @ken0324! Also thanks to our Shape-Kit collaborators: Jerry, Jesse, Michael, and Ben! 📸 by @xjasminelu 🥰

I'm THRILLED to share that, as one of the General Chairs, we will host #TEI2026 conference in Chicago, USA!!! Held at The University of Chicago and its neighbor (Hyde Park, Chicago), it will be an excellent opportunity for you to visit Chicago. @tei_conf tei.acm.org/2026

Getting ready for the Axhibition2025 'Wihimsical Criti...cal'!!!! 📅 March 11 (Tues) 1–5pm 📍 JCL 1F @UChicagoCS ℹ️ axlab.cs.uchicago.edu/exhibition/axh…

What if at the end of each day you got a receipt detailing your time spent on YouTube? Would that physical accounting change your relationship to digital media? @AxLab_UChicago is creating gadgets that prompt new ways of thinking about technology. mag.uchicago.edu/university-new…

📢Axhibition2025 'Whimsical Criti...Cal' Axhibition is an annual showcase featuring the latest projects from @AxLab_UChicago & class (Actuated UIs & Tech). Join us for an afternoon of critical whimsy✨ 📅 March 11 (Tues) 1–5pm 📍 JCL 1F @UChicagoCS ℹ️ axlab.cs.uchicago.edu/exhibition/axh…