ID 4071: Innovation Design Studio – Designing Robotic Environments
This course is a senior Interaction Design studio with a focus on Designing “Robotic Environments,” which is an interdisciplinary topic discussed in various academic communities including Interactive Architecture (IA), Architectural Robotics, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Socially Interactive Robotic Environment (SIRE), and Human-Building Interaction (HBI). “Robotic Environments” are built environments embedded with robotic components. They are physical, reconfigurable, interactive, and can be augmented through extended or mixed realities. We will explore the Design of Robotic Environments through various design methods and paradigms (e.g., movement-centric design, scenario-based design, design patterns, etc.) but under the umbrella of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Research through Design (RtD). The goal is to design and develop innovative robotic environments or robots with environmental impacts through a rigorous design research process. We hope the outcome of this studio will significantly contribute to students’ design and research portfolios no matter which career path they pursue, either in academia or industry, after they graduate. Below is an exemplary course project. Please refer to more student projects at Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, and Example 6.
This course focuses on the human-centered design, engineering, and evaluation of social robots through a variety of interaction design and behavioral research techniques. The course framework is rooted in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), an interdisciplinary field investigating how robots interact with people in a social world. Please be noted that “robot” here is a broad concept referring to cyber-physical artifacts with a certain level of autonomy (e.g., capable of physical movements or reconfigurations or both) including non-humanoids, robotic furnishings, cyber-physical installations/spaces, and many more. Students will go through a variety of in-class and after-class activities to grasp the essence of the HRI design and research methods that will be introduced during the class. These methods can also pave a solid path for students who would like to pursue future careers related to UX or IxD no matter in industry or academia. Below is an exemplary course project. Please refer to more student projects at Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, and Example 4.
This course introduces students to interactive product design including the basics of sensor technologies, electronics, and programming required to produce working product concept prototypes. You will be exposed to prototyping interactive products and apply these skills in various hands-on projects. More specifically, this course consists of two sections: 1) Weeks 1—6 focus on Arduino prototyping techniques including both electronics wiring and Arduino coding, and 2) Weeks 7—15 focus on the integrated design process of an interactive product, following the basic steps of “spiral product development process” well-established for developing quick-built products. The key purpose of these two sections is to cultivate your critical thinking and creative thinking ability to the point that you can propose, develop, prototype, and evaluate novel product design ideas. As a result, you will constantly shift your thinking style between critical and creative thinking in this course, making it an exciting design research journey. The skills you learn from this course will be foundational to your future career as a creative designer, engineer, or both. Below is an exemplary course project. Please refer to more student projects at Example 1 and Example 2.