interactive. media. research.
Our group, headed by Prof. Dr. Jan Borchers, works in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Grounded in Computer Science, we develop and study new interaction theories, techniques, and systems in areas like personal digital fabrication and personal design, mobile, wearable, and shape-changing user interfaces, soft robotics, interactive textiles, handheld augmented reality, interaction with AI, and visual coding environments. Our goal is to make the Brave New World of interactive technologies useful by making it usable. Since starting in October 2003, we have become one of Germany's best-published research groups at CHI, the premier international academic conference in the field.
We're part of the Computer Science Department and the HCI Center at RWTH Aachen University, Germany's top-ranked University of Technology and one of Germany's Excellence Universities. Our group is an Endowed Chair of the German B-IT Foundation.
Our CHI'23 Contributions
We regularly present our work at ACM CHI, the world's premier conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Here's what we shared there this year:
What's That Shape?
Investigating Eyes-Free Recognition of Textile Icons
Paper by Schäfer et al., CHI '23
Flowboard:
How Seamless, Live, Flow-Based Programming Impacts Learning to Code for Embedded Electronics
TOCHI Paper by Brocker et al., CHI'23
Exploring Shape Designs for Soft Robotics and Users’ Associations with Them
Late-Breaking Work by Brocker et al., CHI'23
Enhancing Notification Awareness for Online Presenters via a Wrist-Worn Device
Late-Breaking Work by Schäfer et al., CHI'23
FabricFaces:
Combining Textiles and 3D Printing for Maker-Friendly Folding-Based Assembly
Late-Breaking Work by Wagner et al., CHI'23
The Aachen Lab Demo:
From Fundamental Perception to Design Tools
Interactivity Demo by Borchers et al., CHI '23
Eight Challenges of Future Electronics Toolkits
Workshop Paper by Brocker and Borchers, CHI '23
News & Events
- Prof. Borchers gives an invited talk at the Aachen Chamber of Commerce on "The Golden Rules of Usable Technology" (Aug 10, 2023).
- Our full paper "Investigating Visual Countermeasures Against Dark Patterns in User Interfaces" was accepted at MuC'23. (Jul 18, 2023)
- At this year's "Helle Köpfe" event, 15 children from the region visited our lab and built rockets using press-fit kits made with our laser cutter. (May 08, 2023)
- At this year's Girls' Day, ten children visited our Fab Lab Aachen. (Apr 27, 2023)
- Our workshop proposal together with researchers from other institutions on "Soft Robotics and Actuated Materials for Human-Computer Interaction" was accepted at ACM DIS'23. More information and how to participate here. The submission deadline is June 15. (Apr 03, 2023).
- Our position paper Eight Challenges of Future Electronics Toolkits (
Draft PDF) was accepted to the Workshop Beyond Prototyping Boards: Future Paradigms for Electronics Toolkits at ACM CHI'23. (Mar 06, 2023) - Three of our Late-Breaking Works have been accepted for presentation at ACM CHI'23. (Feb 27, 2023)
- Prof. Jan Borchers' book Arduino in a Nutshell has been downloaded over 200,000 times! (Feb 17, 2023).
- For CHI'23, the world's premier HCI conference, Prof. Jan Borchers is an Associate Chair for the Building Devices Subcommittee, a member of the Student Research Competition Jury, and a member of the Interactivity Jury. (Jan 24, 2023)
- The first in-person Aachen Maker Meetup (#143!) after the pandemic took place with lots of participants, projects, and pizza. (Jan 18, 2023)
- Our full paper "What’s That Shape? Investigating Eyes-Free Recognition of Textile Icons" was accepted at ACM CHI'23. (Jan 16, 2023)
- Earlier news & events...
Usability for Everybody in 18 Minutes
Teaching Winter 2022/23
Designing Interactive Systems 1
iOS Application Development
FLApp
FLApp, our mobile Future Lab Aachen App for iOS and Android, is the city's official science-focused walking tour through Aachen's inner city. But instead of historical facts, you'll learn about the latest discoveries and inventions made by engineers and scientists at each location, with some locations using Augmented Reality.
Interested in HCI?
- Jan's Top Ten list of HCI books
- What makes a good PhD student? (Jan, Jan 25, 2006)
- HCI Journals and their Impact Factors (Jan, Jan 30, 2006)
- Other HCI- and Media Computing-related groups at RWTH Aachen University
- Join our low-traffic HCI Announcements list to be informed about HCI-related events at our chair, at RWTH Aachen University and in the area.
Media Computing Group / Lehrstuhl Informatik 10 (Medieninformatik und Mensch–Computer–Interaktion) • Prof. Dr. Jan Borchers • RWTH Aachen University • Ahornstr. 55 • 2nd floor • Room 2208 • 52074 Aachen • Germany • +49 (0)241 80-21051 • Contact & Directions