In the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), researchers have long been studying the relationship of three entities of humans, computers, and the interfaces mediating them. However, recent advances more focus on the interaction between humans and objects mediated by the objects' material properties, such as shape change, color change, stiffness change, and phase change, which is called material interaction. For example, we have developed flexible actuators that react to humans and the environment by liquid-to-gas phase change driven by modest heat. We also built the interface devices healing their mechanical and electrical failure even after damaged. To make academic results as well as industrial and aesthetic outcomes, we collaborate designers and researchers around the world.

In the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer Graphics (CG), researchers have long been exploring computational design, which replaces the design process by users' intuition into computational optimization. However, recent successes in digital fabrication tools like 3D printers have led to computational fabrication, which design and fabricates objects considering the constraints in the fabrication process. So far, for example, we have achieved (1) the inflatable mobility devices that can be deflated not in use for more portability, (2) folded 3D models to reduce the printing time and support material consumption for 3D printing, and (3) the self-folding method of extremely complex origami that usually requires hours of manual folding. We do this in collaboration with researchers and fashion designers to deploy our research results to the society in diverse and aesthetic ways.