AxLab - Actuated Experience Lab

We invent and design actuated UI tech that 'actuates' people.

Interaction Design/HCI/ActuatedTUI/Robotics/Interactive Art

@UChicagoCS led by @ken0324

[AxLab - Actuated Experience Lab @AxLab_UChicago]

Thanks for covering our work @arduino , and thank you for making our research possible!

Find the full video here: https://t.co/YwUIBcQn6r

We would love to explore with more artists to see how they would employ this new drawing tool!

[Arduino @arduino]

Developed by researchers at @AxLab_UChicago, penPal is an Arduino MKR WiFi 1010-controlled robotic handheld drawing tool that's capable of generating a variety of marks and textures: https://t.co/ilKZSE7Q3q

[Microchip Makes @MicrochipMakes]

.@AxLab_UChicago researchers developed an Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 (SAM D21)-controlled robotic drawing tool to support dynamic mark-making and direct creative actions at the texture level. https://t.co/wvJFLgGuSZ

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

This is PopTuber, a machine that dynamically reshapes poptubes, corrugated tube-like fidget toy whose shape can be digitally defined by a series of multi-stable bellow mechanisms.

A Demo by @AxLab_UChicago 's Willa at #TEI2026 in Chicago @tei_conf

[hackaday @hackaday]

Touchable POV Display Blooms In Mid Air https://t.co/WPXyFw7P7W

[Willa Yunqi Yang @willayangy]

I’ll take that. Wild is the word. When I first pitched the idea it sounded wild and it still does ;)

[Arduino @arduino]

Developed by researchers at @AxLab_UChicago, penPal is an Arduino MKR WiFi 1010-controlled robotic handheld drawing tool that's capable of generating a variety of marks and textures: https://t.co/ilKZSE7Q3q

[DFRobot @dfrobotcn]

Very cool research from @axlab_uchicago.

BloomBeacon makes a touchable POV display with soft spinning arms: LEDs on one side, capacitive pads on the other, blooming into a mid-air UI surface.

Wild HCI idea.

🤖For more details:
https://t.co/sSVDhCWpXA

#HCI #POV

[Center for Design at CAMD @NU_CfD]

Ken Nakagaki of @AxLab_UChicago is visiting @NU_CAMD next month to give a talk about his lab’s work. Join us on Thursday, June 11, at 11 a.m. to attend Nakagaki’s presentation about a series of AxLab’s latest research projects.

Learn more: https://t.co/1LWjaUR86Q

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

I'm immensely proud of @AxLab_UChicago members Anup, Willa, and Tucker for giving great #CHI2026 talks today. It was an overwhelming advisor moment to have all the talks happen in one morning. Thanks to everyone who made to attend the talks! Stay tuned for those who missed.

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

All #CHI2026 paper talks from @AxLab_UChicago are on Wednesday (tomorrow)! Don't miss!

🏠 Attention Nooks | 9-10:30AM | P1 Room 131 'Methods, Reviews & Ethical Futures'

🌸 BloomBeacon | 11:15AM - 12:45PM | M2 Room 211/212 'Haptic, Touch, and Physical Display'

✏️ penPal | 11:15AM - 12:45PM | P1 Room 124 'Tangible Interfaces for Electronics, PCBs, and Physical Computing'

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

Remember when computers lived in one room; that spatial constraint made us intentional about the use🏠 Smartphones broke it.

Attention Nooks brings it back — using presence sensing to create situated friction for mindful tech use. @AxLab_UChicago #CHI2026 by Anup Sathya [1/5]

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

Meet penPal — a handheld actuated drawing tool ✏️ penPal opens up new possibilities for textural mark-making, and more broadly, explores a new kind of human-machine creative collaboration — right at the tip of your pen.
#CHI2026 paper from @AxLab_UChicago by Tucker Rae-Grant [1/5]

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

What if everyday surfaces could dynamically 'bloom' to display information? 🌸
BloomBeacon is a Persistence-of-Vision display that lets you touch the display image directly — embedded right into your environment. #CHI2026 paper from @AxLab_UChicago, led by @willayangy [1/5]

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

@AxLab_UChicago will present THREE papers at #CHI2026, including a novel 'blooming' touch display🌸, attention-preserving tangible tech with 'situated friction'🏠, and an actuated drawing tool for creative expression✏️. @UChicagoCS
learn more 👉 https://t.co/1Z7SGx8WmK

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

We’re less than 10 days away from #TEI2026 to be held at @UChicago and @msichicago !!! 🎉 @tei_conf

If you haven’t registered yet, please do so—badges will be printed early next week, and the full program is available now: https://t.co/AoiwpBN0Le

Registered for the in-person conference but not for a studio? Sign up! We have a wonderful lineup of hands-on, tangible studio programs to be held on March 8th (Sun), at Griffin MSI.
List of Studio Programs: https://t.co/ba3QhTUWFC

Local but not fully registered? Consider the Demo & Art Reception ticket ($120)! Experience cutting-edge technology, interactive demos, and artwork in person, to be held on March 9th (Mon), also at Griffin MSI. You can also sign up for a Studio-only ticket ($100+)!

Joining us from afar? Grab a VIRTUAL ticket ($50)! We'll offer streaming and archiving of all talk sessions (including the special 20th TEI panel), plus live interaction for the talk session and Demo/Poster/SDC programs.
Hybrid Experience Info: https://t.co/Z39vxV6JxG

Registration Info: https://t.co/WS4kFkVNwR

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

If you’re attending #TEI2026, go sign up for @AxLab_UChicago’s studio “Attention Preserving Tangible Interfaces”!
Anup will lead a hands-on workshop on resisting the attention economy through interactive devices—& you’ll build/speculate one, too!

details: https://t.co/ul0X9RJL20

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

Attention Receipts (led by @AxLab_UChicago's PhD student, Anup Sathya) has been selected as the Winner of this year’s @FastCompany by Design Awards – Student Category!

It also received the Linda Tischer Award, recognizing the rising design talent. Congratulations, Anup! 🎉

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

#UIST2025 Come to "Interacting with Robots" session TODAY 11am-12:30pm at Sydney - 2 papers from @AxLab_UChicago , Buoyancé and Shape n' Swarm, will be presented!

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

.@AxLab_UChicago will present TWO papers at #UIST2025. Both will be demonstrated during the Monday reception - so don't miss the demo!
Both talks will take place at the end of Wednesday's session, "Interacting with Robots," so you can't miss them!

[Ken Nakagaki @ken0324]

👇Check this article highlighting the #UIST2025 programs from @UChicagoCS! Excited for everything, but especially looking forward to the Vision Talk by @plopesresearch!

'UChicago CS Researchers Expand the Boundaries of Interface Technology at UIST 2025'
https://t.co/bEZp0Ho6jJ