ACME

Colorado-based Computer Graphics Professionals Make Their Mark at SIGGRAPH 2024

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 16:30:29 +0000

Colorado-based Computer Graphics Professionals Make Their Mark at SIGGRAPH 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/02/2024 - 10:30

ATLAS community members, including professor Ellen Do and PhD student Ruhan Yang, presented at this year's conference in Denver.

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ATLAS PhD student deploys papercraft to make engineering tangible and fun

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:50:41 +0000

ATLAS PhD student deploys papercraft to make engineering tangible and fun Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/30/2024 - 13:50

ATLAS PhD student Ruhan Yang blends papercraft and circuit design to make engineering more tangible, accessible and fun for tinkerers of all ages.

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Public-private partnership drives attention for ATLAS research in augmented and mixed reality

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 16:41:59 +0000

Public-private partnership drives attention for ATLAS research in augmented and mixed reality Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/18/2024 - 10:41

Michael Kwolek

Partnerships between universities and industry can yield important research and commercial breakthroughs. ATLAS professor Ellen Do has worked to cultivate relationships between CU ��«��Ƶ and industry players, including as a member of the Pervasive Personalized Intelligence (PPI) Center, to support graduate students and enhance opportunities for commercialization of ATLAS research.

The PPI Center, which recently concluded its tenure, was founded “with a mission of bringing industry and university talent together to solve the intelligence challenges faced by software and computer engineers in Internet of Things systems." It operated under the supervision of the National Science Foundation and included members from NEC, Intel and Trimble.

“It’s been such a good experience. We’ve learned a lot. Ellen Do and her team have helped to expand our thinking and encouraged us to explore new areas.” - Dr. Haifeng Chen, Head of Data Science Department at NEC Laboratories, and his colleague Kai Ishikawa, Principal Researcher (PPI Center event recap)

The PPI Center’s Spring 2024 Industry Advisory Board Meeting in Portland, OR, included a research poster session, and ATLAS students were honored with three of the four awards industry attendees voted on at the event.

Suibi Che-Chuan Weng, PhD student, won "Most Industry Ready" for Editing Reality: Empowering Users to Manipulate Reality through Addition, Erasing, and Modification with Speech to Prompt in Mixed Reality.
Rishi Vanukuru, PhD student, won "Most Impactful" for Asynchronous spatial guidance using mobile devices and Augmented Reality.
Ada Zhao, MS student, won "Most Impactful" for The WizARd and Apprentice: Augmented Reality Expert Capture for Training Novices.

2 more ATLAS PhD students participated: Krithik Ranjan presented PuppetGuide: Tangible Personalized Museum Tour Guides using LLMs and David Hunter presented Tangible Interaction with Object Detection and Large Language Models.

As for the experience participating in the PPI Center, Do says, “it is good to know that the industry is interested in supporting research and considers our research relevant.” She sees ways ATLAS could form partnerships within several industry sectors on a range of themes due to the multidisciplinary nature of the research conducted here.

Since their involvement in PPI started, Do and her team have had a series of meetings with mentors from global technology firms, discussing collaborative research opportunities.

Vanukuru is currently doing an internship at Microsoft Research Cambridge focused on spatial computing in its VR/AR group. Weng and Zhao are working on research in the ACME Lab this summer, extending the Editing Reality (and PuppetGuide), and WizARd and Apprentice projects with interns from the CU SPUR program. Zhao is also conducting a pilot study, interviewing laser cutter operating experts about how they would demonstrate operations and how they can annotate their demonstration using the WizARd prototype for novice learners. Hunter has embarked on an internship with Trimble this summer, while he and Ranjan are also working in the ACME Lab.

ACME Lab members built relationships with industry players through the Pervasive Personalized Intelligence (PPI) Center by collaborating on solutions to challenges in building Internet of Things systems. Three ATLAS PhD students took home awards from the PPI Center's Spring 2024 Advisory Board Meeting.

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ATLAS in Ireland: 12 community members present at TEI’24

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 19:05:23 +0000

ATLAS in Ireland: 12 community members present at TEI’24 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/09/2024 - 12:05

Michael Kwolek

ATLAS is well-represented at #TEI2024 - the 18th ACM International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction. This year’s conference, in Cork, Ireland, celebrates “cutting-edge scientific research and art that is on the edge of disciplines and on the edge of new unique developments and possibilities.”

Research from 12 members of the ATLAS community including faculty, alumni and students is featured at the conference. The work spans a range of disciplines, including weaving, biomaterials, mixed reality and robotics. In addition, ACME Lab director, Ellen Do, acted as Co-Chair of Graduate Student Consortium; PhD student, Sandra Bae, was an Associate Chair for Pictorials; and ATLAS PhD alum, Fiona Bell, was an Associate Chair for Papers.

Research ATLAS PhD students presented at TEI’24

Loom Pedals: Retooling Jacquard Weaving for Improvisational Design Workflows
Shanel Wu, Xavier A Corr, Xi Gao, Sasha De Koninck, Robin Bowers, and Laura Devendorf

Abstract: We present the Loom Pedals, an open-source hardware/software interface for enhancing a weaver’s ability to create on-the-fly, improvised designs in Jacquard weaving. Learning from traditional handweaving and our own weaving experiences, we describe our process of designing, implementing, and using the prototype Loom Pedals system with a TC2 Digital Jacquard loom. The Loom Pedals include a set of modular, reconfigurable foot pedals which can be mapped to parametric Operations that generate and transform digital woven designs. Our novel interface integrates design and loom control, providing a customizable workflow for playful, improvisational Jacquard weaving. We conducted a formative evaluation of the prototype through autobiographical methods and collaboratively developed future Loom Pedals features. We contribute our prototype, design process, and conceptual reflections on weaving as a human-machine dialog between a weaver, the loom, and many other agents.

Bio-Digital Calendar: Attuning to Nonhuman Temporalities for Multispecies Understanding
Fiona Bell, Joshua Coffie, and Mirela Alistar

Abstract: We explore how actively engaging with the temporalities of a nonhuman organism can lead to multispecies understanding. To do so, we design a bio-digital calendar that brings attention to the growth and health of kombucha SCOBY, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that lives in a tea medium. The non-invasive bio-digital calendar surrounds the kombucha SCOBY to track (via sensors) and enhance (via sound) its growth. As we looked at and listened to our kombucha SCOBY calendar on a daily basis, we became attuned to the slowness of kombucha SCOBY. This multisensory noticing practice with the calendar, in turn, destabilized our preconceived human-centered positionality, leading to a more humble, decentered relationship between us and the organism. Through our experiences with the bio-digital calendar, we gained a better relational multispecies understanding of temporalities based on care, which, in the long term, might be a solution to a more sustainable future.

Wizard of Props: Mixed Reality Prototyping with Physical Props to Design Responsive Environments
Yuzhen Zhang, Ruixiang Han, Ran Zhou, Peter Gyory, Clement Zheng, Patrick C. Shih, Ellen Yi-Luen Do, Malte F Jung, Wendy Ju, and Daniel Leithinger

Abstract: Driven by the vision of future responsive environments, where everyday surroundings can perceive human behaviors and respond through intelligent robotic actuation, we propose Wizard of Props (WoP): a human-centered design workflow for creating expressive, implicit, and meaningful interactions. This collaborative experience prototyping approach integrates full-scale physical props with Mixed Reality (MR) to support ideation, prototyping, and rapid testing of responsive environments. We present two design explorations that showcase our investigations of diverse design solutions based on varying technology resources, contextual considerations, and target audiences. Design Exploration One focuses on mixed environment building, where we observe fluid prototyping methods. In Design Exploration Two, we explore how novice designers approach WoP, and illustrate their design ideas and behaviors. Our findings reveal that WoP complements conventional design methods, enabling intuitive body-storming, supporting flexible prototyping fidelity, and fostering expressive environment-human interactions through in-situ improvisational performance.

Making Biomaterials for Sustainable Tangible Interfaces
Fiona Bell, Shanel Wu, Nadia Campo Woytuk, Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez, Mirela Alistar, and Leah Buechley

Abstract: In this studio, we will explore sustainable tangible interfaces by making a range of biomaterials that are bio-based and readily biodegradable. Building off of previous TEI studios that were centered around one specific biomaterial (i.e., bioplastics at TEI’22 and microbial cellulose at TEI’23), this studio will provide participants the ability to experience a wide variety of biomaterials from algae-based bioplastics, to food-waste-based bioclays, to gelatin-based biofoams. We will teach participants how to identify types of biomaterials that are applicable to their own research and how to make them. Through hands-on activities, we will demonstrate how to implement biomaterials in the design of sustainable tangible interfaces and discuss topics sensitized by biological media such as more-than-human temporalities, bioethics, care, and unmaking. Ultimately, our goal is to facilitate a space in which HCI researchers and designers can collaborate, create, and discuss the opportunities and challenges of working with sustainable biomaterials.

Paper Modular Robot: Circuit, Sensation Feedback, and 3D Geometry
Ruhan Yang

Abstract: Modular robots have proven valuable for STEM education. However, modular robot kits are often expensive, which makes them limited in accessibility. My research focuses on using paper and approachable techniques to create modular robots. The kit’s design encompasses three core technologies: paper circuits, sensation feedback mechanisms, and 3D geometry. I have developed proof-of-concept demonstrations of technologies for each aspect. I will integrate these technologies to design and build a paper modular robot kit. This kit includes various types of modules for input, output, and other functions. My dissertation will discuss the development of these technologies and how they are integrated. This research will address the considerations and techniques for paper as an interactive material, providing a guideline for future research and development of paper-based interaction.

Research from 12 members of the ATLAS community including faculty, alumni and students is featured at the 18th ACM International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction.

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ATLAS PhD Students Present at ISMAR 2023

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 22:44:26 +0000

ATLAS PhD Students Present at ISMAR 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/25/2023 - 16:44

Michael Kwolek

Billed as the premier conference for Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR), IEEE ISMAR was the perfect location for ATLAS community members to showcase their work this month.

ATLAS PhD students Rishi Vanukuru, Torin Hopkins and Suibi Che-Chuan Weng attended ISMAR 2023 in Sydney, Australia, from October 16-20, along with leading researchers in academia and industry.

Vanukuru presented his work on DualStream, a system for mobile phone-based spatial communication employing AR to give people more immersive tools to “share spaces and places.” He also participated in the “1st Joint Workshop on Cross Reality” with his research on using mobile devices to support collaboration.

Meanwhile, Hopkins and Weng displayed their respective research on improving ways for musicians to collaborate remotely.

Research ATLAS PhD students presented at ISMAR 2023

DualStream: Spatially Sharing Selves and Surroundings using Mobile Devices and Augmented Reality
Rishi Vanukuru, Suibi Che-Chuan Weng, Krithik Ranjan, Torin Hopkins, Amy Banić, Mark D. Gross, Ellen Yi-Luen Do

Abstract: In-person human interaction relies on our spatial perception of each other and our surroundings. Current remote communication tools partially address each of these aspects. Video calls convey real user representations but without spatial interactions. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) experiences are immersive and spatial but often use virtual environments and characters instead of real-life representations. Bridging these gaps, we introduce DualStream, a system for synchronous mobile AR remote communication that captures, streams, and displays spatial representations of users and their surroundings. DualStream supports transitions between user and environment representations with different levels of visuospatial fidelity, as well as the creation of persistent shared spaces using environment snapshots. We demonstrate how DualStream can enable spatial communication in real-world contexts, and support the creation of blended spaces for collaboration. A formative evaluation of DualStream revealed that users valued the ability to interact spatially and move between representations, and could see DualStream fitting into their own remote communication practices in the near future. Drawing from these findings, we discuss new opportunities for designing more widely accessible spatial communication tools, centered around the mobile phone.

Exploring the use of Mobile Devices as a Bridge for Cross-Reality Collaboration [Workshop Paper]
Rishi Vanukuru, Ellen Yi-Luen Do

Abstract: Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies enable powerful forms of spatial interaction with a wide range of digital information. While AR and VR headsets are more affordable today than they have ever been, their interfaces are relatively unfamiliar, and a large majority of people around the world do not yet have access to such devices. Inspired by contemporary research towards cross-reality systems that support interactions between mobile and head-mounted devices, we have been exploring the potential of mobile devices to bridge the gap between spatial collaboration and wider availability. In this paper, we outline the development of a cross-reality collaborative experience centered around mobile phones. Nearly fifty users interacted with the experience over a series of research demo days in our lab. We use the initial insights gained from these demonstrations to discuss potential research directions for bringing spatial computing and cross-reality collaboration to wider audiences in the near future.

Investigating the Effects of Limited Field of View on Jamming Experience in Extended Reality [Poster Paper]
Suibi Che-Chuan Weng, Torin Hopkins, Shih-Yu Ma, Chad Tobin, Amy Banić, Ellen Yi-Luen Do

Abstract: During musical collaboration, extra-musical visual cues are vital for communication between musicians. Extended Reality (XR) applications that support musical collaboration are often used with headmounted displays such as Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, which limit the field of view (FOV) of the players. We conducted a three part study to investigate the effects of limited FOV on co-presence. To investigate this issue further, we conducted a within-subjects user study (n=19) comparing an unrestricted FOV holographic setup to Nreal AR glasses with a 52◦ limited FOV. In the AR setup, we tested two conditions: 1) standard AR experience with 52◦-limited FOV, and 2) a modified AR experience, inspired by player feedback. Results showed that the holographic setup offered higher co-presence with avatars.

Networking AI-Driven Virtual Musicians in Extended Reality [Poster]
Torin Hopkins, Rishi Vanukuru, Suibi Che-Chuan Weng, Chad Tobin, Amy Banić, Mark D. Gross, Ellen Yi-Luen Do

Abstract: Music technology has embraced Artificial Intelligence as part of its evolution. This work investigates a new facet of this relationship, examining AI-driven virtual musicians in networked music experiences. Responding to an increased popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, networked music enables musicians to meet virtually, unhindered by many geographical restrictions. This work begins to extend existing research that has focused on networked human-human interaction by exploring AI-driven virtual musicians’ integration into online jam sessions. Preliminary feedback from a public demonstration of the system suggests that despite varied understanding levels and potential distractions, participants generally felt their partner’s presence, were task-oriented, and enjoyed the experience. This pilot aims to open opportunities for improving networked musical experiences with virtual AI-driven musicians and informs directions for future studies with the system.

ATLAS PhD students Rishi Vanukuru, Torin Hopkins and Suibi Che-Chuan Weng attended ISMAR 2023 in Sydney in October to present research on AR, VR and MR.

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Ellen Yi-Luen Do Presents Keynote on Fun with Creative Technology & Design at TaiCHI 2023

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:51:39 +0000

Ellen Yi-Luen Do Presents Keynote on Fun with Creative Technology & Design at TaiCHI 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/13/2023 - 12:51

Michael Kwolek

ATLAS Professor Ellen Yi-Luen Do had the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at TaiCHI 2023, a symposium hosted by the Taiwan Human-Computer Interaction Society at Taiwan University in Taipei. The event gathered researchers and practitioners across a range of backgrounds in technology, design and human factors to deepen community connections and explore new ideas.

Sessions included presentations on fabrication, perception, interactions and other timely topics, with a surprising range in mediums from humble materials like felt and puppets to advanced VR technologies and metaverse interactivity.

As director of the ACME Lab at ATLAS, Do and her team conduct research on using everyday items as interfaces, creating objects to think with, new ways of working, and methods and tools to help others make things. Do delivered her presentation, entitled “Fun with Creative Technology & Design”, advocating for playful computing with easily accessible materials like paper and cardboard, while highlighting ways to make toolkits for others to create for themselves.

The audience, which included experts in computer science, psychology, media, art, design and business responded enthusiastically, finding common ground in this relatable, inclusive approach to otherwise complex technologies. Do received a particularly warm reception from students in the field. She noted, “Several students came to thank me for my talk, stating that they learned so much from me, and that they never thought research could be this fun and interesting.”

Do expressed excitement for a few standout presentations from the conference including Ed Chi, Distinguished Scientist at Google DeepMind, who delivered a keynote on the large language model revolution. She said, “I was happy to learn that Bard will be a tool-use application applying to many of the Google apps and services people already use, including Maps, Sheets, Gmail, Docs, and more.”

She also called out FeltingReel: Density Varying Soft Fabrication with Reeling and Felting by Ping-Yi Wang and Lung-Pan Cheng as particularly intriguing.

Back in 2015, Do wrote the article “A flourishing field: a guide to HCI in China, Taiwan, and Singapore”, and saw the founding of Taiwan HCI. Looking back, she reflects, “I’m happy to see TaiCHI 2023 have 300 people registered with vibrant discussions, demos and posters. It's definitely growing!”

ATLAS Professor Ellen Yi-Luen Do presented on Fun with Creative Technology & Design as keynote speaker at TaiCHI 2023.

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Sandra Bae, ATLAS PhD Student, Awarded at VIS 2023

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 15:47:51 +0000

Sandra Bae, ATLAS PhD Student, Awarded at VIS 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/30/2023 - 09:47

Michael Kwolek

Sandra Bae, PhD student and member of the Utility Research Lab and ACME Lab at ATLAS, has been honored with a Best Paper Honorable Mention at VIS 2023 for her research on network physicalizations.

Billed as “the premier forum for advances in theory, methods and applications of visualization and visual analytics”, VIS 2023 will be held in Melbourne, Australia, from October 22-27, and is sponsored by IEEE. The Best Papers Committee bestows honorable mentions on the top 5% of publications submitted.

The paper introduces a computational design pipeline to 3D print physical representations of networks enabling touch interactivity via capacitive sensing and computational inference.

[video:https://youtu.be/uv0Yu0WUeSQ]

A Computational Design Process to Fabricate Sensing Network Physicalizations
S. Sandra Bae, Takanori Fujiwara, Anders Ynnerman, Ellen Yi-Luen Do, Michael L. Rivera, Danielle Albers Szafir

Abstract
Interaction is critical for data analysis and sensemaking. However, designing interactive physicalizations is challenging as it requires cross-disciplinary knowledge in visualization, fabrication, and electronics. Interactive physicalizations are typically produced in an unstructured manner, resulting in unique solutions for a specific dataset, problem, or interaction that cannot be easily extended or adapted to new scenarios or future physicalizations. To mitigate these challenges, we introduce a computational design pipeline to 3D print network physicalizations with integrated sensing capabilities. Networks are ubiquitous, yet their complex geometry also requires significant engineering considerations to provide intuitive, effective interactions for exploration. Using our pipeline, designers can readily produce network physicalizations supporting selection-the most critical atomic operation for interaction-by touch through capacitive sensing and computational inference. Our computational design pipeline introduces a new design paradigm by concurrently considering the form and interactivity of a physicalization into one cohesive fabrication workflow. We evaluate our approach using (i) computational evaluations, (ii) three usage scenarios focusing on general visualization tasks, and (iii) expert interviews. The design paradigm introduced by our pipeline can lower barriers to physicalization research, creation, and adoption.

Bae describes potential use cases for sensing network physicalizations:

Accessibility visualization - Accessible visualizations (e.g., tactile visualizations) focus on making data visualization more inclusive, particularly for those with low vision or blindness. However, most tactile visualizations are static and non-interactive, which reduces data expressiveness and inhibits data exploration. This technique can create more interactive tactile visualizations.
AR/VR - Most AR/VR devices use computer vision (CV), but most devices using CV cannot reproduce the haptic benefits that we naturally leverage (holding, rotating, tracing) with our sense of touch. Past studies confirm the importance of tangible inputs when virtually exploring data. But creating tangible devices for AR/VR requires too much instrumentation to make them interactive. Our technique would enable developers to more easily produce fully functional, responsive controllers right from the printer within a single pass.

The work continues as Bae plans to pursue more complex designs and richer interactivity including:

Fabricating bigger networks - The biggest network Bae has 3D printed so far is 20 nodes and 40 links, but this is rather small for most network datasets. She will scale this technique to support bigger networks.

Supporting output - Interactive objects receive input (e.g., from touch) and produce output (e.g., light, sound, color change) in a controlled manner. The sensing network currently addresses the first part of the interaction loop by responding to touch inputs, but she next wants to explore how to support output.

Bae showcased this research along with fellow ATLAS community members at the Rocky Mountain RepRap Festival earlier this year. We’re excited to see where her innovative research leads next.

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SMART Students Join ATLAS for Summer Research Projects

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:44:02 +0000

SMART Students Join ATLAS for Summer Research Projects Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 07/27/2023 - 10:44

Michael Kwolek

CU ��«��Ƶ offers 10-week summer research internships for rising juniors and seniors through the Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training (SMART) program. The program aims to improve access to STEM research for students from groups underrepresented in science, math and engineering, including racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, Pell grant recipients, individuals with disabilities, and students who have overcome significant challenges in pursuit of higher education.

The SMART program prepares students to become competitive applicants for doctoral programs nationwide by pairing them with faculty who, along with other personnel in their labs, mentor them through an authentic research experience. This year, ATLAS Institute’s ACME Lab, directed by professor Ellen Yi-Luen Do, hosts two students through the SMART program, Sergio Bustamante and Ignatius Nwankwo (see the full list of 2023 mentors and mentees at CU ��«��Ƶ).

Sergio Bustamante explores printed paper circuits

Sergio expects to graduate University of Florida next spring with a B.S. in electrical engineering. What started as a youthful obsession with Lego has translated into expertise in coding and a desire to design circuits and build prototypes. He also has an interest in making music, which led to his research work at ATLAS.

Sergio is building a music production tool using the Fabricating Paper Circuits techniques developed by fellow ACME Lab members Ruhan Yang (ATLAS ACME Lab member, PhD student), and Krithik Ranjan (ATLAS ACME Lab member, PhD student), and the folded paper button technology and Sensing Kirigami carbon coated paper technique developed by fellow ACME Lab members Clement Zhang, postdoctoral research associate, and Peter Gyory, PhD candidate.

He details his process: “I'm designing a paper tangible interface and keyboard. A lot of the techniques are ways to make interfaces that you can move, you can manipulate, you can press down, you can switch—just out of paper.”

“I've never designed a MIDI controller nor have I even owned one. So making one, I had to do extensive research and because of that it's been a process of trial and error. Always plan for things to take a bit longer than you anticipate—that’s the thing that I've learned.”

MIDI controller prototype made of paper-based materials and copper tape.

Ignatius Nwankwo researches accessible animation tools

Ignatius is a rising junior at Morgan State University majoring in electrical engineering with proficiencies in coding and an interest in game development. In his spare time, he has worked on developing a 2D platformer action game.

Ingatius says, “Since I was a kid, I was always interested in how electronics worked. I wanted to learn the underlying technologies behind things like game consoles and remote controls.”

At ATLAS, his research augments PhD student Krithik Ranjan’s Cartoonimator project, a low-cost, paper-based kit for children to create animations and engage with computational thinking without the need for expensive equipment. The tool empowers children to draw scenes on paper and animate them with a simple smartphone app. Ignatius has written code to allow young animators to shrink and grow sprites as if they are coming to or moving away from the viewer, a sort of 3D effect in a two-dimensional environment. He is also working on features for changing camera angles and backgrounds and adding dialog bubbles.

Ignatius explains, “There are two types of sheets—backgrounds and characters. You can draw whatever you want on them and when you arrange them together, you get something called a key frame. When you have multiple key key frames and you combine them together using the app, you get a smooth animation between the two points.”

In addition to adding a new programming language to his repertoire, Ignatius says he has learned to ask for help and improved his ability to collaborate with a team, vital skills in the lab and in the workforce.

Cartoonimator scene and character cels with smartphone app

Revealing their final research

Just before their time at ATLAS concludes, Sergio and Ignatius will fly to Hartford, Connecticut, to attend the Leadership Alliance National Symposium, a conference offering skill-building, networking and professional development opportunities for undergraduates. There they will have the chance to show their research in a poster session in addition to attending workshops on navigating graduate programs, participating in a recruiting fair and meeting leaders in their field.

Then in their last week back in the ACME Lab, Sergio and Ignatius will deliver papers and present their final projects in the SMART program poster session.

A SMART approach

Professor Do notes that CU ��«��Ƶ has two major functions: to disseminate knowledge (teaching) and to generate knowledge (research). Most undergraduate students only take courses to gain knowledge, and are not part of generating knowledge through research. They may not even see what it’s like to be a graduate student working in a research lab.

She reflects, “As a person of color working in engineering, and often the minority representative in meetings, I know first-hand what it feels like to be in the underrepresented group. I like hosting SMART students at ACME Lab as it’s important for undergraduates to learn to work with graduate students through hands-on experience in conducting research. It’s also an opportunity for graduate students to mentor others. Learning and teaching enhance the growth of knowledge and understanding.”

Diversity in research is essential for expanding the whole of human knowledge. At ATLAS, we’re excited to continue to participate in SMART and other programs aimed at achieving this goal.

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ATLAS Members Explore Childhood Play and Learning Through Interactive Design at IDC 2023

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:29:52 +0000

ATLAS Members Explore Childhood Play and Learning Through Interactive Design at IDC 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/19/2023 - 12:29

11 ATLAS community members have contributed to work featured at the 22nd annual ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference to be held on June 19-23, 2023 at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. IDC is the premier international conference for researchers, educators and practitioners to share the latest research findings, innovative methodologies and new technologies in the areas of inclusive child-centered design, learning and interaction. IDC’23 is hosted by the Center for Computer Science and Learning Sciences at Northwestern University.

Coming out of the pandemic, this year’s theme asks participants to “rediscover childhood” to understand what it means to be a child in this and coming decades and what adults can do to provide a sustainable and equitable future for the next generation. Key topics include privacy, ethics, equity, social and emotional wellbeing, sustainability, and healthy human development.

Research presented by ATLAS faculty, students and affiliates

Designing Together, Miles Apart: A Longitudinal Tabletop Telepresence Adventure in Online Co-Design with Children
Casey Lee Hunt (ATLAS THING Lab member, PhD student), Kaiwen Sun, Zahra Dhuliawala, Fumi Tsukiyama, Iva Matkovic, Zachary Schwemler (ATLAS MS alumnus), Anastasia Wolf, Zihao Zhang, Allison Druin, Amanda Huynh, Daniel Leithinger (ATLAS THING Lab Director, Computer Science faculty member), Jason Yip

Children’s online co-design has become prevalent since COVID-19. However, related research focuses on insights gained across several shorter-term projects, rather than longitudinal investigations. To explore longitudinal co-design online, we engaged in participatory design with children (ages 8 - 12) for 20 sessions in two years on a single project: an online collaboration platform with tabletop telepresence robots. We found that (1) the online technology space required children to play a role as technology managers and troubleshooters, (2) the home setting shaped online social dynamics, and (3) providing children the ability to choose their design techniques prevented gridlock from situational uncertainties. We discuss how each finding resulted from interplay between our long-term technology design and online co-design processes. We then present insights about the future of online co-design, a conceptual model for longitudinal co-design online, and describe opportunities for further longitudinal online co-design research to generate new methods, techniques, and theories.

Exploring Computational Thinking with Physical Play through Design
Junnan Yu, Ronni Hayden (PhD student), Ricarose Roque (Assistant Professor, Information Science)

Physical play has often been leveraged to provide children with active and engaging learning experiences. However, coding activities are predominantly sedentary in front of the screen, and the application of physical play in Computer Science education is less explored, e.g., how can we engage in computational thinking (CT) through physical play? In this design-based exploration, we conducted three design activities where young children, college students, and researchers were invited to create physical play projects using the BBC micro:bit and reflect on their experiences. By examining participants’ projects and creating processes, we provide empirical evidence that remixing physical play activities with coding can engage learners in various CT concepts and practices, reveal how CT concepts and practices can be represented in physical play, and highlight implications for designing physical play-mediated computational learning experiences. Ultimately, we encourage more learning experiences to incorporate physical play into computing education for children.

Ricarose Roque chairs the session “Computational and Data Literacy” in which this paper is included.

[Pictorial] Imagining Alternative Visions of Computing: Photo-Visuals of Material, Social, and Emotional Contexts from Family Creative Learning
Ricarose Roque (Assistant Professor, Information Science)

This pictorial presents visuals of families engaging with creative technologies as “knowledge-building artifacts” to provoke reflection on the social, material, and emotional context of designed interactions (“things that make you think”) as well as provocations to re-value these contexts and promote alternative visions in what and how engagement with computing can look like (“things that matter”). The selected images are from a large and ongoing collection of documentation from a family technology program. The images were captured using the Reggio Emilia documentation approach to documentation, which aims to “make learning visible.”

Ricarose Roque is one of three Pictorial Chairs in the conference Organizing Committee.

[Work-in-progress] Cartoonimator: A Low-cost, Paper-based Animation Kit for Computational Thinking
Krithik Ranjan (ATLAS ACME Lab member, PhD student), Peter Gyory (ATLAS ACME Lab member, PhD Candidate), Michael L. Rivera (Utility Research Lab Director, Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction and Digital Fabrication), and Ellen Yi-Luen Do (ATLAS ACME Lab Director, Computer Science faculty member)

Computational thinking has been identified as an important skill for children to learn in the 21st century, and many innovative kits and tools have been developed to integrate it into children’s learning. Yet, most solutions require the use of devices like computers or other expensive hardware, thus being inaccessible to low-income schools and communities. We present Cartoonimator, a low-cost, paper-based computational kit for children to create animations and engage with computational thinking. Cartoonimator requires only paper and a smartphone to use, offering an affordable learning experience. Children can draw the scenes and characters for their animation on the paper, which is printed with computer vision markers. We developed the mobile web app to provide an interface to capture keyframes and compile them into animations. In this paper, we describe the implementation and workflow of Cartoonimator, its deployment with children at a local STEAM event, and a planned evaluation for the kit.

[Work-in-progress] Empower Children in Nigeria to Design the Future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through Writing
Cornelius Onimisi Adejoro, Luise Arn, Larissa Schwartz (Master's student), Tom Yeh (Associate Professor, Computer Science)

This paper presents a new approach to engaging children in Nigeria to share their views of AI. This approach is centered on an inclusive writing contest for children in a secondary school in Abuja to write about AI to compete for prizes and share their writings with others. A preliminary analysis of the first 11 articles we received exhibits diverse gender and ethnic representation that conveys cultural values and perspectives distinct from those of the children in Western countries. This finding suggests future work to conduct an in-depth cross-cultural analysis of the articles and to replicate similar writing contests to engage children in other underrepresented countries

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ATLAS affiliates receive seed grants to study AI-augmented learning

Anonymous — Wed, 24 May 2023 17:12:39 +0000

ATLAS affiliates receive seed grants to study AI-augmented learning Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/24/2023 - 11:12

The Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning Interdisciplinary Research Theme awarded multiple seed grants this spring to help spur research teaming in the college and boost early projects with the high potential for societal impact, including to several ATLAS Institute affiliates.

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