Physical Computing

HugBug: A Wearable Interface to Engage Children

A woman wearing a large hat with bright LED lights on it. The woman is hugging a child and the lights are shining.
HugBug being used as a playful wearable to interact with others
HugBug is a wearable system in the form of a large hat augmented with programmable LED lights. The lights are controlled by an embedded microcontroller and can be activated by a variety of sensors.  HugBug was designed as a playful system to encourage hugs. When a user wears HugBug his or her hugs are augmented by a light show. 
Foad is talking to a class full of students with a slide of LED lights on a projector.
Using HugBug to teach digital design

Synchrum: A Tangible Interface for Rhythmic Collaboration

Synchrum is a digital tangible interface for rhythmic collaboration. Its design is inspired by the Tibetan prayer wheel.  Traditionally, in Tibet and Bhutan turning a prayer wheel is believed to send prayers to the universe. Synchrum allows audience members of a digital performance to collaborate with each other to affect the course of a narrative.  
A Tibetan prayer wheel which has a rotating disc on a graspable stick.
Tibetan Prayer Wheel
Synchrum calculates rotations per minute for each user. The rotation rate for each user is compared with a specified value in real-time to determine if users are "in-sync". Using Synchrum allows for audience participation in digital performance via continuous rhythmic movements. 


Relevant Publications:
Hamidi, F., Comeau, N., Saenz, K. Baljko, M. HugBug: A Wearable Interface for Facilitating Digital Design for Children. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Design and Emotion, 2014, 706-709.

Hamidi, F., Baljko, M. Makers with a Cause: Fabrication, Reflection and Community Collaboration. Proceedings of the International Conference on Distributed, Ambient, and Pervasive Interactions, 2015, 49-61. Available Online.

Hamidi, F., Baljko, M., Moakler, A. and Gadot, A. Synchrum: A Tangible Interface for Rhythmic Collaboration. Adjunct Proceedings of the 25th Annual Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST ‘12), 2012, 63-64, New York: ACM.  Available Online.
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