Abstract
The novel nature of tangible communication technologies and users’ lack of prior experience pose a significant challenge for engaging stakeholders in participative activities for non-verbal, tangible remote-communication devices. To address this gap, we developed a research toolkit consisting of wirelessly connected textile cubes capable of transmitting haptic signals such as motion, warmth, shape change, heartbeat, vibration and visual cues. This paper examines the potential of the toolkit as a methodological tool for identifying suitable input-output modalities and capturing user perceptions in the early stages of device development. Applied within a recent research project, the toolkit enabled participants to engage with unfamiliar interaction modalities and supported designers in evaluating preferences and patterns across various communication scenarios. Our work contributes a case study on user study design in the field of tangible remote communication and offers insights into the participatory development of multimodal, non-verbal remote communication devices with implications for future research.
Keywords
tangible interaction, haptic feedback, participatory design, remote communication
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.813
Citation
Fischer, H., Horn, H., and Woop, E. (2026) Touchbox: A research toolkit of haptic textile cubes for experiencing, evaluating, and co-designing tangible remote communication, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.813
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Touchbox: A research toolkit of haptic textile cubes for experiencing, evaluating, and co-designing tangible remote communication
The novel nature of tangible communication technologies and users’ lack of prior experience pose a significant challenge for engaging stakeholders in participative activities for non-verbal, tangible remote-communication devices. To address this gap, we developed a research toolkit consisting of wirelessly connected textile cubes capable of transmitting haptic signals such as motion, warmth, shape change, heartbeat, vibration and visual cues. This paper examines the potential of the toolkit as a methodological tool for identifying suitable input-output modalities and capturing user perceptions in the early stages of device development. Applied within a recent research project, the toolkit enabled participants to engage with unfamiliar interaction modalities and supported designers in evaluating preferences and patterns across various communication scenarios. Our work contributes a case study on user study design in the field of tangible remote communication and offers insights into the participatory development of multimodal, non-verbal remote communication devices with implications for future research.