Wearable and Interactive Technology Lab

WIT Lab designs interactive systems and interaction techniques for mobile, wearable, and embedded devices. Our work reflects the unique form factors and use contexts of these systems: they are miniaturized, handheld, wearable, ubiquitous, and operated when mobile, distracted, busy, or multi-tasking. Our designs are informed through empirical work that acquires a nuanced understanding of the capabilities and abilities of the human mind and body. They are developed using a combination of digital fabrication, hardware and software prototyping, and advanced analytic techniques such as computational optimization and deep learning. The goal of our work is to create interactive systems that are seamless, transparent, expressive, and effective. The primary current focus is on applying the modalities of touch, gaze, and motion to emerging device form factors such as smartwatches and smartglasses in critical wearable use scenarios such as augmented and virtual reality. Can we use our fingernails as a touch surface to support HMD use? We develop a set of five touch-sensitive finger nails and present a series of studies and evaluations of their potential to support interactive experiences: a design workshop to brainstorm interaction ideas; a qualitative study that captures the comfort of a wide range of touches - 144 in total; and two studies that examine the speed and stability with which users can make touches to their nails. We conclude with recommendations for a final set of 29 viable touches that are comfortable and can be performed accurately and rapidly. How can we quickly and reliably authenticate to smartwatches? This work explores how audio signals transmitted through the wrist can serve as a unique signal for unlocking and securing a smartwatch. We developed custom surfa