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Accepted manuscript

Integrating Biomaterials and Interactive Technologies: Practice-based Perspectives on the Growth of Biodesign within Human-Computer Interaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2025

Fiona Bell*
Affiliation:
Department of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Mirela Alistar
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Leah Buechley
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
*
*Author for correspondence. Email: fiona.bell@umbc.edu

Abstract

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Biodesign has grown significantly in the last decade as an approach focused on designing with biological materials, processes, and systems. The inherent transdisciplinarity of biodesign enables it to cut across multiple fields. In this work, we look at how biodesign has recently been applied within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), a disciplinary field that focuses on the design, development, and study of interactive technologies. Subsequently, Biological-HCI (Bio-HCI) has emerged as a rapidly growing and evolving area of research at the intersection of biodesign and HCI. To highlight the nascence of Bio-HCI, we examine three of our own Bio-HCI projects—SCOBY Breastplate, B10-PR1NT, and μMe—as case studies that exemplify how biodesign is being explored through specific, situated practices with a variety of interactive technologies. Through these cases, we identify potential themes and opportunities for Bio-HCI as it continues to push current understandings of computational interaction and promote more sustainable technological futures.

Information

Type
Discussion
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press