Vibroacoustic materials : leveraging material vibration to sense interaction

Abstract

Materiality has been a theme of extensive discussion in the field of human-computer- interaction (HCI) in recent years. This perspective has presented new opportunities to reimagine how computing technology can manifest itself in the physical world through materials and objects we use every day. The development of materials with embedded sensing is a crucial requirement for the fulfillment of the ubicomp vision. This thesis proposes to leverage material properties as an inherent capability of a material to afford interactivity. It focuses on how mechanical vibration, a property response that is natural and common to any material, can be leveraged to sense interactions. It presents PaperAware, an example of a vibroacoustic sheet material that can support touch, swipe, and non-contact interactions like blowing on the paper's surface. The thesis concludes by proposing a vision and series of techniques to develop materials with inherent vibroacoustic sensing capability.