Tuning into Everyday Ecologies: Children’s Slow Noticing in Food GardensMany children are disconnected from nature and have limited understanding of where their food comes from. Noticing nature, through active sensory engagement, is fundamental for children to learn to appreciate and care for it. Yet little is known about the noticing acts of children (3-5 years) in their everyday nature experiences in HCI research. We investigated children's nature engagement in childcare centre settings, with a focus on food gardens and a view to understanding how digital technology might support it. Informed by literature on noticing, we conducted three design activities using prompt cards, an IoT-based camera and a Bee-Bot to analyse children's noticing in food gardens, including: focal noticing of the more-than-human, relational noticing for connection, and temporal noticing through ecological tempos. We synthesise and highlight technology design opportunities that use slow noticing to bridge hidden to noticed, connect part to pattern, and attune from tempo to flow over time.2026YLYanxia Li et al.QUTChild-Computer Interaction DesignTangible Interaction in EducationCitizen Science & Crowdsourced DataCHI
Understanding Emotional Closeness in Distanced Intergenerational Relationships Between Young Children and Older Adults: A Scoping Review for HCIEmotional closeness (EC) is central to family relationships, however in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) it is often regarded as self-evident, invoked through adjacent constructs such as connection or co-presence. This ambiguity is particularly limiting for remote relationships between young children (aged 4-8 years) and their older relatives, where developmental asymmetries and generational roles shape how EC unfolds. To clarify how EC is understood in this specific intergenerational context, we conducted a scoping review of 30 papers (2010 - 2025) examining how EC is defined, evaluated, and technologically mediated. Our analysis reveals three key patterns: reliance on self-report evaluations, a persistent interaction-closeness assumption, and under-exploration of embodied and cultural framings. We synthesise a multidimensional definition of EC comprising Affective Expression, Relational Practices, Embodied Presence, and Cultural Belonging. We conclude with implications for HCI, including the need for multimodal and longitudinal methods and technologies that support multi-dimensional, culturally grounded, and meaningful intergenerational connection.2026YWYuehao Wang et al.Queensland University of TechnologyEmpathy & Emotional DesignRemote Family ConnectionChild-Computer Interaction DesignCHI
Small Talk, Big Impact? LLM-based Conversational Agents to Mitigate Passive Fatigue in Conditional Automated DrivingPassive fatigue during conditional automated driving can compromise driver readiness and safety. This paper presents findings from a test-track study with 40 participants in a real-world automated driving scenario. In this scenario, a Large Language Model (LLM) based conversational agent (CA) was designed to check in with drivers and re-engage them with their surroundings. Drawing on in-car video recordings, sleepiness ratings and interviews, we analysed how drivers interacted with the agent and how these interactions shaped alertness. Results show the CA is helpful for supporting vigilance during passive fatigue. Thematic analysis of acceptability further revealed three user preference profiles that implicate future intention to use CAs. Positioning empirically observed profiles within existing CA archetype frameworks highlights the need for adaptive design sensitive to diverse user groups. This work underscores the potential of CAs as proactive Human–Machine Interface (HMI) interventions, demonstrating how natural language can support context-aware interaction during automated driving.2026LCLewis Cockram et al.Queensland University of TechnologyAutomated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignHuman-LLM CollaborationAI-Assisted Decision-Making & AutomationCHI
Balancing Attention Support for Early-learners (BASE) in Digital Technology Interactions: A Framework for Design and UseDigital technologies increasingly shape young children’s attention, yet current design paradigms often prioritise engagement over developmental appropriateness. This paper responds to growing concerns about the attention economy’s influence on children’s lives. While many theories address attention and digital engagement, there is no unified design framework to support balanced attentional development in early childhood (ages 3 to 5). We introduce the Balanced Attention Support for Early-learners (BASE) framework, which comprises three principles: (1) ally indoor and outdoor learning, (2) balance attentional processes in technology interactions, and (3) co-design with children’s attention in mind. Developed through a meta-narrative review of psychology, early childhood education, and human–computer interaction literature, the framework identifies five attentional modes: focused attention, restoration, switching, mindfulness, and relational attending. BASE reframes familiar design practices through the lens of attentional development, offering new directions for resisting attention-capture paradigms and supporting socio-cognitive growth, ethical engagement, and the whole child.2026KVKellie Vella et al.Queensland University of Technology (QUT)Early Childhood Education TechnologyDigital Parenting & Screen Time ManagementChild-Computer Interaction DesignCHI
Exploring Women’s Perspectives on Learning and Trust in Automated Vehicles: A Socio-Ecological LensAs automated vehicles (AVs) move toward mainstream adoption, understanding how users learn about and build trust in them is critical. Prior research shows that women hold safety concerns and report low trust and familiarity with AVs. While limited exposure is often cited as a cause, growing evidence indicates that women’s needs, preferences, and safety priorities remain insufficiently addressed in AV design and governance. We conducted ten dyadic and five individual semi-structured interviews with fifteen women, guided by feminist HCI principles. We then analysed findings through a socio-ecological framework to explore trust and learning. Our findings show that women's needs and expectations for AVs develop in conversation with gendered and caregiving responsibilities, and experiences of safety and vulnerability. Trust and learning co-evolve in this process as a dynamic association of forces influencing inclusive mobility. We contribute a feminist socio-ecological account of trust–learning dynamics, identifying design and policy interventions that support inclusive onboarding, institutional accountability, and community-based co-learning for equitable AV adoption.2026AAALAA H A ABUSAFIA et al.Queensland University of TechnologyAutomated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignInclusive DesignEmpowerment of Marginalized GroupsCHI
The Choreography of Care: An Ethnographic Study of Human-Robot Collaboration in Makoplasty SurgeriesHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC) in surgery is rarely a straightforward interaction between one human and one robot. In joint replacement surgeries performed with the Mako robot (Makoplasty), the robotic arm enhances surgical precision while also affecting how collaboration unfolds in the operating theater. Utilizing over 80 hours of hospital-based fieldwork, including observations of 15 Makoplasty surgeries and 10 interviews, we examine how the Mako robot shapes surgical HRC. We demonstrate how surgical teams coordinate via tacit cues, negotiated boundaries, and adaptive role shifts across phases of operation. Through vignettes, we highlight the pivotal role of supporting actors, such as nurses and robotic specialists, in maintaining flow and reveal how responsibility is distributed temporally among actors depending on task demands. We argue that surgical HRC is best understood as a multi-actor choreography rather than a surgeon-robot dyad, offering design implications for co-located surgical HRC systems that support distributed collaboration.2026JVJasper T Vermeulen et al.QUTHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC)Surgical Assistance & Medical TrainingCHI
Haptic-Augmented AV Experiences: Potentials for Blind and Low-Vision UsersHaptic technology has diverse applications in automated vehicles (AVs), yet research lacks a holistic view of its role in user experiences and its inclusive potential for blind and low-vision (BLV) users. This paper reviews state-of-the-art haptic interfaces in AVs, examining technological foundations, applications, user experience considerations, and adaptability for BLV accessibility. We found that existing haptic interfaces are primarily designed for drivers during automation transitions, emphasizing effectiveness over hedonic experience. There is a knowledge gap in how such interfaces can improve BLV user experience in fully automated vehicles. We propose a shift from haptic-supported automated driving to Haptic-Augmented AV Experiences, advocating for more inclusive and adaptive haptic interactions beyond traditional driver-centric paradigms.2025ZMZhengtao Ma et al.Automated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)AutoUI
Designing With Motion: Exploring Vestibular Cues as a Subtle Awareness Nudge Modality in Automated VehiclesAutomated driving systems, particularly at SAE Level 3, present new challenges in managing driver attention to ensure smooth transitions from automated to manual control. This paper reports on a qualitative investigation of vestibular cues—implemented via subtle deceleration events—as a form of a dynamic Human-Machine Interface (dHMI) that subtly "nudges" a user's attention away from a non-driving related task (NDRT) and towards the driving environment. Conducted as a test-track study (N=25), we explore awareness, acceptance, and design considerations related to these cues. Findings reveal that while participants showed positive attitudes toward vestibular nudges as safety features, they were unable to differentiate nudges from necessary vehicle deceleration during automated driving. The study reveals how drivers interpret the implicit interaction with the dHMI during realistic NDRT and potential limitations. The study highlights the need for multimodality HMI approaches and customisation to optimise user experience in conditional automated vehicles.2025YYYueteng Yu et al.Automated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackAutoUI
Measuring Driver Electrodermal Activity when Exposed to HMIs Conveying Uncertainty in Conditional Automated DrivingThe emergence of automated vehicles (AVs) introduces new challenges to human-vehicle interactions, especially in conditional automated driving. This study presents different head-up display designs as the human-machine interface (HMI) to convey uncertainty to AV users. It investigates the impact of such designs on drivers’ physiological responses–via electrodermal activity data–and subjective evaluations of cognitive workload during the automated drive. A between-subjects driving simulator experiment (N=187) was conducted to examine four conditions: baseline (no HMI), a progressive colour-based Guardian Angel display, a text-based interruption, and a combination approach. The results showed significant effects of the presence of the colour-based display interventions on physiological arousal, associated with cognitive workload. However, the subjective ratings showed no difference across conditions. These findings indicate that the designed displays can trigger physiological responses without affecting perceived workload. It offers insights into HMI design to balance driver awareness and cognitive demand in automated driving.2025JPJorge Pardo et al.Head-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)AutoUI
The Art of Mechamimicry: Designing Prototyping Tools for Human-Robot InteractionThis research investigates the application of tangible and embodied prototyping methods integrated with virtual simulation in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). We present the development of the “kinematic puppet,” a reliable, reusable, adaptable, and accessible prototyping tool designed to facilitate stakeholder engagement in early-stage HRI research and development without requiring significant financial or time investments. The potential of this methodological approach is illustrated through a formative co-design workshop in Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS), where the kinematic puppet, simple props and a low-fidelity anatomical model enabled stakeholders to externalise tacit knowledge through role-play scenarios. The case study suggests that combining physical and virtual approaches can support stakeholders in expressing concrete ideas for improving or changing the interaction, making abstract concepts tangible, with virtual simulation enabling rich data capture for further design development. This work contributes to the rapidly expanding toolbox of design approaches in HRI.2025JDJames L Dwyer et al.Shape-Changing Interfaces & Soft Robotic MaterialsHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC)Prototyping & User TestingDIS
Beyond the Buckets of Support: Designing for Agency and Interaction in Personalised Disability SystemsSocial care systems are increasingly adopting personalisation schemes that empower individuals with disabilities and their families to directly purchase services,from assistive technologies to daily living support. Central to this shift are institutions like the National Disability Insurance Scheme, where annual negotiations shape care delivery and social benefits. Drawing on interviews with parents of children with intellectual disabilities, individuals with intellectual disabilities, service managers -- alongside the use of a technology probe -- this paper examines the communication dynamics within these planning processes, identifying critical design opportunities. We explore the issues of communication control, obscured agency, and tokenistic engagement that arise in bureaucratic support planning. As a contribution, we highlight the barriers and facilitators reshaping these interactions, offering key implications for future design interventions.2025FBFilip Bircanin et al.King's College London , Department of InformaticsEmpowerment of Marginalized GroupsParticipatory DesignCHI
Decoding Driver Intention Cues: Exploring Non-verbal Communication for Human-Centered Automotive InterfacesIn emerging "driver-less" automated vehicles (AVs), the intuitive communication that exists between human drivers and passengers no longer exists, which can lead to reduced trust and acceptance in passengers if they are unclear about what the AV intends to do. This paper contributes the foundational understanding of how passengers naturally decode drivers' non-verbal cues about their intended action to inform intuitive Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designs that try to emulate those cues. Our study investigates what cues passengers perceive, their saliency, and interpretation through a mixed-method approach combining field observations, experience sampling, and auto-confrontation interviews with 30 driver-passenger pairs. Analysis of posture, head/eye movements, and vestibular sensations revealed four categories of intention cues: awareness, interaction, vestibular, and habitual. These findings provide empirical foundations for designing AV interfaces that mirror natural human communication patterns. We discuss implications for designing anthropomorphic HMIs that could enhance trust, predictability, and user experience in AVs.2025MFMohammad Faramarzian et al.Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q)Automated Driving Interface & Takeover DesignIn-Vehicle Haptic, Audio & Multimodal FeedbackCHI
Designing for Transactional Moments: Features of Tools for Child-centred Speech Language TeletherapyTeletherapy for speech-language therapy (SLT) has become essential for many families. Early intervention for young children is important to ensure that developmental milestones are met. In this study, from a corpus of 10 videos, we present three cases of online and in-person therapy sessions with children between the ages of 3 and 6. Our analysis shows how online and in-person SLT sessions use tools, how they are conscripted into social and transactional moments, and identifies features of tools that support or hinder therapists’ goals (see Figure 1). From our findings, we discuss in detail four overarching features of tools and implications for design. These features support engagement, space usage, child-centred play, and adaptability in therapy sessions. The paper outlines how these features are present in the tools used in SLT, and describes how they impact SLT activities, therapists’ and children’s goals, and the environment for social transactional activities.2025SMSarah Matthews et al.Queensland University of Technology, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child; Queensland University of Technology, Computer ScienceForce Feedback & Pseudo-Haptic WeightSpecial Education TechnologyCHI
Articulating Human-World Relations from Co-Designing a Collaborative Robotic SystemIn contrast to traditional industrial robots, collaborative robots are developed with the intention of allowing for close-proximity physical interaction between humans and robots. Current definitions of collaborative robots provide a pragmatic starting point for establishing safety guidelines, choosing operating parameters, and implementing organisational changes, but remain predicated on technological conceptions that prioritise a conscious split between people and robots, with the surrounding world as merely a physical site for interaction. In this paper, we take a postphenomenological perspective on robots in an investigation of human-world relations that robots can give rise to. This perspective can help elucidate the nature of such relations in a design process. Our investigation is anchored in an 8-month research study that aimed to, first, identify opportunities for a robot integration within a medical manufacturing facility and, second, facilitate a design and implementation process of a proof-of-concept robotic system in collaboration with workers. The paper contributes with an empirically anchored postphenomenological analysis of how human-world relations played out in the design process of a collaborative robotic system. Finally, we elaborate on the utility and limitations of a postphenomenological lens for design research.2025SJStine S Johansen et al.Aalborg University, Department of Computer ScienceHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC)Knowledge Worker Tools & WorkflowsCHI
Characterising CSCW Research on Human-Robot CollaborationHuman-Robot Collaboration (HRC) is an increasingly prominent topic in CSCW and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). From telepresence systems through field robots for extreme missions to social robots in homes, HRC is becoming a recurring theme across a broad range of CSCW research. Based on the growing interest, we explore the coupling of the fields of CSCW and robotics at this critical time. This paper presents a primary and secondary literature review of CSCW proceedings and venues for robotics research. We identified 29 CSCW papers that contribute to the body of HRC research and analyse the foundations on which these papers rely. Then, we identified 138 papers published in robotics outlets that either (1) cite one or more CSCW papers, or (2) use the term CSCW. We discuss how CSCW is currently contributing to HRC research through five research topics: Sociomateriality, teamwork, awareness, embodiment, and communication. The paper contributes by offering three key future pathways for expanding this area of research, outlining questions and gaps that have yet to be explored for (1) expanding the application domains and diversifying robot types for HRC, (2) methodological implications for HRC, and (3) learning from human collaboration.2024SJStine S Johansen et al.Session 1e: Human-AI CollaborationCSCW
Nature Networks: Designing for nature data collection and sharing from local to globalHuman-nature relations are formed by the social and economic forces underlying local, physical places. Yet, many citizen science platforms are designed for national or global nature data collection. How local knowledge of wildlife can be effectively assembled to support this is an open question. This study explored what a localised nature network might look like and how to design for what people care about, notice, record, and share. We undertook research with 14 participants in an inner-city location, using interviews and a variety of technology probes. We found that participants’ social and physical boundaries, values regarding family and community, and diverse questions impacted human-nature relations and nature data collection. Speculated physical-digital networks indicated novel combinations of platforms and technologies to drive ongoing engagement and learning. This study contributes insight into how nature data is formed by the realities of locality, and how a fractured nature/data landscape might be mended.2024KVKellie Vella et al.Citizen Science & Crowdsourced DataHuman-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)DIS
Studying Self-Care with Generative AI Tools: Lessons for DesignThe rise of generative AI presents new opportunities for the understanding and practice of self-care through its capability to generate varied content, including self-care suggestions via text and images, and engage in dialogue with users over time. However, there are also concerns about accuracy and trustworthiness of self-care advice provided via AI. This paper reports our findings from workshops, diaries, and interviews with five researchers and 24 participants to explore their experiences and use of generative AI for self-care. We analyze our findings to present a framework for the use of generative AI to support five types of self-care, – advice seeking, mentorship, resource creation, social simulation, and therapeutic self-expression – mapped across two dimensions – expertise and modality. We discuss how these practices shift the role of technologies for self-care from merely offering information to offering personalized advice and supporting creativity for reflection, and we offer suggestions for using the framework to investigate new self-care designs.2024TCTara Capel et al.Generative AI (Text, Image, Music, Video)Mental Health Apps & Online Support CommunitiesDIS
Phenology Circles: A Method to Deepen Relations in More-Than-Human Design ProcessesWe present phenology circles, a method to deepen relations human and more-than-human in the backstage of participatory design processes. To illustrate the method, we reflect on over two years of activity in an online, global gardening community of practice (our phenology circle) initiated to coordinate and communicate with participants in the backstage of our research. Related to our research aims, the community was initiated to attune ourselves to the rhythms and interrelations of other species and between one another. Through this approach, we better understood interaction and deepened relations between humans and the more-than-human (e.g., plants, animals, spirits). The community (N=42) has shared over 1,200 images and textual posts regarding thoughts about the environment, concerns, and experiences. Reflecting on activity of eight core members, we identified shifts from scientific-natured posts to imbue sentience and storytelling, making possible a variety of cross-cultural and symbiotic encounters to appear in our online site and fostering community to encounter and embrace difference. Phenology circles illuminate more-than-human concerns intertwined with different human values and beliefs. We discuss the value of science, sentience and storytelling, reflect on facilitation, and illustrate a design pathway that links the backstage to frontstage design activities.2024SRShannon Rodgers et al.Technology Ethics & Critical HCIParticipatory DesignHuman-Nature Relationships (More-than-Human Design)DIS
Augmented Reality at Zoo Exhibits: A Design Framework for Enhancing the Zoo ExperienceAugmented Reality (AR) offers unique opportunities for contributing to zoos' objectives of public engagement and education about animal and conservation issues. However, the diversity of animal exhibits pose challenges in designing AR applications that are not encountered in more controlled environments, such as museums. To support the design of AR applications that meaningfully engage the public with zoo objectives, we first conducted two scoping reviews to interrogate previous work on AR and broader technology use at zoos. We then conducted a workshop with zoo representatives to understand the challenges and opportunities in using AR to achieve zoo objectives. Additionally, we conducted a field trip to a public zoo to identify exhibit characteristics that impacts AR application design. We synthesise the findings from these studies into a framework that enables the design of diverse AR experiences. We illustrate the utility of the framework by presenting two concepts for feasible AR applications.2024BSBrandon Victor Syiem et al.Queensland University of TechnologyAR Navigation & Context AwarenessMuseum & Cultural Heritage DigitizationCHI
An Eye Gaze Heatmap Analysis of Uncertainty Head-Up Display Designs for Conditional Automated DrivingThis paper reports results from a high-fidelity driving simulator study (N=215) about a head-up display (HUD) that conveys a conditional automated vehicle’s dynamic “uncertainty” about the current situation while fallback drivers watch entertaining videos. We compared (between-group) three design interventions: display (a bar visualisation of uncertainty close to the video), interruption (interrupting the video during uncertain situations), and combination (a combination of both), against a baseline (video-only). We visualised eye-tracking data to conduct a heatmap analysis of the four groups’ gaze behaviour over time. We found interruptions initiated a phase during which participants interleaved their attention between monitoring and entertainment. This improved monitoring behaviour was more pronounced in combination compared to interruption, suggesting pre-warning interruptions have positive effects. The same addition had negative effects without interruptions (comparing baseline & display). Intermittent interruptions may have safety benefits over placing additional peripheral displays without compromising usability.2024MGMichael A. Gerber et al.QUT, msg systems AGHead-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)Eye Tracking & Gaze InteractionCHI