Chris Schmandt’s research while affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other places

We present HyperCubes, an Augmented Reality (AR) platform to foster computational literacy. Using paper cubes as AR markers and spatial tracking, the user becomes familiar with sequences of instructions as coding blocks. We leverage spatial cognition as a means to improve understanding of procedural and sequential models. We have performed two pilot studies for an iterative and user centered design of the platform. With a final qualitative user study we address engagement levels and the educational potential of the platform. We argue that by using spatial cognition and the flexibility of the AR medium, a playful introduction to basic computational thinking concepts can be presented in late elementary school and middle school children.

SkinMorph is an on-skin interface which can selectively transition between soft and rigid states to serve as a texture-tunable wearable skin output. This texture change is made possible through the material design of smart hydrophillic gels. These gels are soft in resting state, yet when activate by heat (>36°C), they generate a micro-level structural change which results in observable stiffening. These gels are encapsulated in thin silicone patterned with resistive wires through a sew-and-transfer fabrication approach. We demonstrate application examples using the texture-tunable skin overlay as wearable, interactive protection for scenarios including: a carpal tunnel splint for rehabilitation, a protective layer for joints when engaging in high impact activities, and foot pads when wearing uncomfortable shoes. Our evaluation shows that the gel is 10 times stiffer when activated, and that users find the device skin-conformable.

Our co-located social relationships are changing with the adoption of new technologies. Augmented Reality (AR) performed on clothing can bridge the gap between our online social media and our face-to-face interactions. We propose a new system composed of an online application that generates a personalized and artistic design for the user»s clothing based on personal interests extracted from a social network. We also present an AR application to explore this social design and improve icebreaking interactions and connections between strangers in community settings and social gatherings.

Every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Our work explores the use of on-body sensors to detect, communicate and prevent sexual assault. We present a stick-on clothing sensor which responds to initial signs of sexual assault such as disrobing to deter sexual abuse. The smart clothing operates in two modes: an active mode for instances when the victim is unconscious, and a passive mode where the victim can self-actuate the safety mechanism. Both modes alert the victim's friends and family, actuate an auditory alarm, activate odor-emitting capsules to create an immediate repulsion effect, and call emergency services. Our design is based on input from sexual assault survivors and college students who evaluated the clothing for aesthetic appeal, functionality, cultural sensitivity and their sense of personal safety. We show the practicality of our unobtrusive design with two user studies to demonstrate that our techno-social approach can help improve user safety and prevent sexual assault.

People use more and more applications and devices that quantify daily behavior such as the step count or phone usage. Purely presenting the collected data does not necessarily support users in understanding their behavior. In recent research, concepts such as learning by reflection are proposed to foster behavior change based on personal data. In this paper, we introduce user-made predictions to help users understand personal behavior patterns. Therefore, we developed an Android application that tracks users' screen-on and unlock patterns on their phone. The application asks users to predict their daily behavior based on their former usage data. In a user study with 12 participants, we showed the feasibility of leveraging user-made predictions in a quantified self approach. By trying to improve their predictions over the course of the study, participants automatically discovered new insights into personal behavior patterns.

Jewelry and accessories have long been objects for decorating the human body; however they remain static and non-interactive. This work explores the role of accessory-like kinetic wearables in relation to personal style: What does it mean to wear kinetic accessories and why would one be motivated to do so? We developed Kino, a kinetic accessory system which enables both aesthetic and functional clothing-specific design possibilities. We engaged fashion designers and non-designers to investigate how they would integrate the platform into their design practice or personal wardrobe. Participants viewed the devices not as gadgets but as companions due to their close proximity to the body. They envisioned a wide range of usage scenarios, highlighting the complexity of mobility in relation to personal style. We observe how mobility offers opportunities for fluid representations of self, which is unachievable though static clothing and accessories. We also outline how personalized aesthetics is important for the meaning making of novel on-body devices.

Our co-located social relationships are changing with the adoption of new technologies. Augmented Reality (AR) performed on clothing can bridge the gap between our social media and our face-to-face interactions. We propose a new system composed of an online application that generates an artistic and representative social design for the user's clothing based on personal interests from a social network. We also present an AR application to explore this social design and enhance face-to-face interactions and connections between acquaintances or strangers.

We present a novel system for automatically generating immersive and interactive virtual reality (VR) environments using the real world as a template. The system captures indoor scenes in 3D, detects obstacles like furniture and walls, and maps walkable areas (WA) to enable real-walking in the generated virtual environment (VE). Depth data is additionally used for recognizing and tracking objects during the VR experience. The detected objects are paired with virtual counterparts to leverage the physicality of the real world for a tactile experience. Our approach is new, in that it allows a casual user to easily create virtual reality worlds in any indoor space of arbitrary size and shape without requiring specialized equipment or training. We demonstrate our approach through a fully working system implemented on the Google Project Tango tablet device.

We introduce Rovables, a miniature robot that can move freely on unmodified clothing. The robots are held in place by magnetic wheels, and can climb vertically. The robots are untethered and have an onboard battery, microcontroller, and wireless communications. They also contain a low-power localization system that uses wheel encoders and IMU, allowing Rovables to perform limited autonomous navigation on the body. In the technical evaluations, we found that Rovables can operate continuously for 45 minutes and can carry up to 1.5N. We propose an interaction space for mobile on-body devices spanning sensing, actuation, and interfaces, and develop application scenarios in that space. Our applications include on-body sensing, modular displays, tactile feedback and interactive clothing and jewelry.

Multiplayer virtual reality (VR) games introduce the problem of variations in the physical size and shape of each user's space for mapping into a shared virtual space. We propose an asymmetric approach to solve the spatial variation problem, by allowing people to choose roles based on the size of their space. We demonstrate this concept through the implementation of a virtual snowball fight where players can choose from multiple roles, namely the shooter, the target, or an onlooker depending on whether the game is played remotely or together in one large space. In the co-located version, the target stands behind an actuated cardboard fort that responds to events in VR, providing non-VR spectators a way to participate in the experience. During preliminary deployment, users showed extremely positive reactions and the spectators were thrilled.