This is not an exhaustive list of projects that we are working on. Below are projects we have published. If you want to learn more about what else we are working on, feel free to get in touch with us.
Jump to publications by year: 2024... 2023... 2022...2021...2020...2019...2018...2017...2016...2015...2014...2013...2011...Theses/Major Research Project Reports...
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Bakhtiari, B., Perin, C., and Somanath, S. VISMOCK: A Programmable Smocking Technique for Creating Interactive Data Physicalization. In Proceedings of the 2024 DIS ConferenceTo Appear. | PDF video |
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Somanath, S., Bakhtiari, B., and Mandryk, L. R. Design Fiction on Capturing, Amplifying, and Instilling Happiness in Work, In Proceedings of the 2024 CHIWORK Symposium. To Appear. | PDF |
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Lakhdhir, S., Perin, C., & Somanath, S. Expressive Clothing: Understanding Hobbyist-Sewers’ Visions for Self-Expression Through Clothing, In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference. | PDF video |
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Lakhdhir, S., Nayar, Chehak, Anderson, F., Fournier, H., Holsti, L., Kondratova, I., Perin, C., & Somanath, S. GlucoMaker: Enabling Collaborative Customization of Glucose Monitors, In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference. | PDF video |
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Zhao, Y., Nacenta, A. M., Sukhai, A. M., & Somanath, S. TADA: Making Node-link Diagrams Acessible to Blind and Low-Vision People, In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference. | PDF video |
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Somanath, S., and Mandryk, L. R. Future of Work: Should we Design for Productivity or Happiness?, Cognitive Personal Informatics Workshop at CHI’24. |
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Lakhdhir, S., Somanath, S., and Sharlin, E. Wearing Awareness: Designing Pedestrian-Wearables for Interactions with Autonomous Vehicles. CHI'23 WIP. | PDF poster video |
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Bakhtiari, B., Perin, C., & Somanath, S. Investigating the Potential for Smart garments as Extension for Mobile devices to Support In-Situ Tasks, In Graphics Interface (GI’23) Poster Track. | |
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Lakhdhir, S., Perin, C., & Somanath, S. Envisioning Tools to Support Physicalizing Information Communicating Garments, In Graphics Interface (GI’23) Poster Track. | |
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Zhao, Y., Nacenta, M., & Somanath, S. (2023). An Interactive Multi-touch Audio Interface Makes Diagrams Accessible to People with Vision Loss, In Graphics Interface (GI’23) Demonstration Track. (Best Demonstration Award). |
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Somanath, S., Wakkary, R., Ettehadi, O., Lin, H., Behzad, A., Eshpeter, J., and Oogjes, D. Exploring the Composite Intentionality of 3D Printers and Makers in Digital Fabrication. International Journal of Design. | pdf |
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Lakhdhir, S. and Somanath, S. Envisioning a Toolkit for Storytelling with Garments. CHI'22 Workshop on "Toolkits and Wearables Workshop. ACM | abstract poster |
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Lakhdhir, S., Fournier, H., Kondratova, I., Anderson, F., and Somanath, S. Tools for Collaboratively Designing and Evaluating Personalized Assistive Technologies. Poster Presentation at the Sucess of Women in STEM Symposium: Pushing the Frontiers of Research Through Collaboration. Organized by the National Research Council of Canada and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research | poster |
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Ettehadi, O., Anderson, F., Tindale, A., and Somanath, S. Documented: Embedding Information onto and Retreiving Information from 3D printed Objects. In Proceedings of Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI'21. ACM | video talk |
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Hammad, N., Brierley, O., Mckendrick, Z., Somanath, S., Finn, P., Hammer, J., and Sharlin, E. Homecoming: Exploring Returns to Long-Term Single Player Games. In Proceedings of Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI'21. ACM | video talk |
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Akyol, E., Mota, R, and Somanath, S. DiaFit: Designing Customizable Wearables forType 1 Diabetes Monitoring. In CHI '21 Extended Abstracts. ACM | video talk poster |
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Stark, J., Anderson, F., Fitzmaurice, G., and Somanath, S. MakeAware: Designing to Support Situation Awareness in Makerspaces. In Proceedings of Designing Interactive Systems - DIS'20. ACM | video talk |
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Somanath, S., Oehlberg, L., and Sharlin, E. Making despite Material Constraints with Augmented Reality-Mediated Prototyping. In Proceedings of FabLearn - FL'20. ACM | video talk |
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Hou, M., Mahadevan, K., Somanath, S., Sharlin, E., and Oehlberg, L. (2020, April). Autonomous Vehicle-Cyclist Interaction: Peril and Promise. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI'20. ACM | video talk |
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Hammad, N., Somanath, S., Finn, P., and Sharlin, E. (2020 March). Using Image Boards to Analayze a series of Cyborg Design Sketches. In Companion Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction - HRI'20. ACM | |
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Smith, C., Somanath, S., Sharlin, E., and Kitamura.,Y (2020 March). Exploring Interactions between Rogue Autonomous Vehicles and People. In Companion Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction - HRI'20. ACM | |
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Asha, A. Z., Oehlberg, L., Somanath, S., Smith, C., and Sharlin, E. (2020 April). Views from the Wheelchair: Understanding Interaction between Autonomous Vehicle and Pedestrians with Reduced Mobility. In Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’20). ACM |
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Mangat, M., Au Yeung, T., Sharlin, E., & Somanath, S. (2019, June). Exploring the Reactions of Companion Animals as Unintended Users of Social Robots. In Companion Publication of the 2019 on Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2019 Companion (pp. 251-256). ACM. | |
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Mahadevan, K., Sanoubari, E., Somanath, S., Young, J. E., & Sharlin, E. (2019, June). AV-Pedestrian Interaction Design Using a Pedestrian Mixed Traffic Simulator. In Proceedings of the 2019 on Designing Interactive Systems Conference (pp. 475-486). ACM. | |
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Ghodke, U., Yusim, L., Somanath, S., & Coppin, P. (2019, June). The Cross-Sensory Globe: Participatory Design of a 3D Audio-Tactile Globe Prototype for Blind and Low-Vision Users to Learn Geography. In Proceedings of the 2019 on Designing Interactive Systems Conference (pp. 399-412). ACM. | |
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Hammad, N., Sanoubari, E., Finn, P., Somanath, S., Young, J. E., & Sharlin, E. (2019, June). Mutation: Leveraging Performing Arts Practices in Cyborg Transitioning. In Proceedings of the 2019 on Creativity and Cognition (pp. 53-59). ACM. (Honrable Mention Award) | |
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Hammad, N., Somanath, S., Finn, P., Sharlin. E., (2019, May). Developing Novel Cyborg Interactions From Atomic Tasks. In CHI '19 Workshop on "The Body as Starting Point: Applying Inside Body Knowledge for Inbodied Design". ACM. |
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Mahadevan, K., Somanath, S., & Sharlin, E. (2018, April). Communicating awareness and intent in autonomous vehicle-pedestrian interaction. In Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (p. 429). ACM. | |
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Tran, A., Somanath, S., & Sharlin, E. (2018, April). Supernumerary Arms for Gestural Communication. In Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (p. LBW101). ACM. | |
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Mahadevan, K., Somanath, S., & Sharlin, E. (2018, March). Can Interfaces Facilitate Communication in Autonomous Vehicle-Pedestrian Interaction?. In Companion of the 2018 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (pp. 309-310). ACM. | |
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Tran, A., Somanath, S., & Sharlin, E. (2018). Using Supernumerary Robotic Arms for Background Tasks. In Extended Abstracts of the 2018 GI Conference Graphics Interface. ACM. | |
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Campbell, T., and Somanath, S. (2018, April). Negotiating Ethical Making between Humans and Machines. In CHI Workshop on Maker Movements, Do-It-Yourself Cultures and Participatory Design. ACM. | |
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Mahadevan, K., Somanath, S., & Sharlin, E. (2018, March). Fight-or-Flight: Leveraging Instinctive Human Defensive Behaviors for Safe Human-Robot Interaction. In Companion of the 2018 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (pp. 183-184). ACM. |
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Kotsopoulos, D., Floyd, L., Khan, S., Namukasa, I. K., Somanath, S., Weber, J., & Yiu, C. (2017). A pedagogical framework for computational thinking. Digital Experiences in Mathematics Education, 3(2), 154-171. | |
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Somanath, S., Oehlberg, L., Hughes, J., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2017, May). 'Maker'within constraints: Exploratory study of young learners using Arduino at a high school in India. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 96-108). ACM. |
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Somanath, S., Morrison, L., Hughes, J., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2016, February). Engaging 'At-Risk' Students through Maker Culture Activities. In Proceedings of the TEI'16: Tenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (pp. 150-158). ACM. |
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Somanath, S., Rocha, A., Hamdi, H., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2015, September). Reservoirbench: An interactive educational reservoir engineering workbench. In IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 340-348). Springer, Cham. | |
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Somanath, S., Hughes, J., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2015, April). The Concept of DIY as an Education Model for Indian Public Schools. In Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Workshop on Designing Alternative Systems for Local Communities. ACM. | |
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Somanath, S., Hargreaves, I., Tse, E., Takashima, K., & Sharlin, E. (2015, April). Grasping the t-test: Designing an Interactive System to Communicate Statistics. In Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Workshop on Exploring the Challenges of Making Data Physical. ACM. |
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Somanath, S., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2014, August). 'Explorances' or why (some) physical entities help us be more creative. In Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Perception (pp. 132-132). ACM. | |
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Somanath, S., Carpendale, S., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2014, May). Information visualization techniques for exploring oil well trajectories in reservoir models. In Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2014 (pp. 145-150). Canadian Information Processing Society. |
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Somanath, S., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2013, March). Integrating a robot in a tabletop reservoir engineering application. In 2013 8th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) (pp. 229-230). IEEE. |
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Sultanum, N., Somanath, S., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. (2011, November). Point it, Split it, Peel it, View it: techniques for interactive reservoir visualization on tabletops. In Proceedings of the ACM International Conference on Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces (pp. 192-201). ACM. | |
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Somanath, S., Sultanum, N., Medeiros, J., Brazil, E. V., Carpendale, S., Sharlin, E., & Sousa, M. C. Interactive 3D Modeling and Visualization of Well Configurations and Trajectories in Reservoir Simulation Post-Processing. |
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Akyol, Erman (2020) DiaFit: Designing Customizable Wearables for Type 1 Diabetes Monitoring. Masters MRP, OCAD University. | |
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Shah, Nahin (2020) Spark-ed: Lessons Learned From Designing A Material Based Probe For Generating Electrical Energy Using Found Objects. Masters MRP, OCAD University. | |
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Ettehadi, Omid (2020) Documented: Embedding and Retrieving Information from 3D Printed Objects. Masters thesis, OCAD University. | |
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Al Rabbaa, Jad (2019) MRsive: an Augmented Reality Tool for Enhancing Wayfinding and Engagement With Art in Museums. Masters thesis, OCAD University. | |
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Forest, Eric (2019) Leveraging Blind Woodworkers’ Practices to Develop Inclusive Instruction. Masters MRP, OCAD University. | |
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Ghodke, Uttara (2019) THE CROSS-SENSORY GLOBE: Co-Designing a 3D Audio-Tactile Globe Prototype for Blind and Low- Vision Users to Learn Geography. Masters MRP, OCAD University. Medal Winner | |
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Addada, Nadine (2019) RETHINK Aging in Place: An Integrated Indoor Domestic Waste Management System. Masters MRP, OCAD University. |
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Lee, Teresa (2018) Bridging Two Worlds: Co-designing social spaces for autism from a neurodiversity perspective by exporting affordances of virtual worlds to physical spaces. Masters MRP, OCAD University. | |
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Somanath, Sowmya (2017) ‘Making’ within Material, Cultural, and Emotional Constraints. PhD Thesis, University of Calgary. | |
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Somanath, Sowmya (2012) Exploring Tabletops as an Interaction Medium in the Context of Reservoir Engineering. Masters Thesis, University of Calgary. |