Abstract
This paper investigates the embodiment of artificial intelligence (AI) through two tangible artefacts developed through Research through Design (RtD). Firstly, A (I) Cam: an instant camera that explores generative AI in image-making and creative practice. Secondly, Machine Eye: an embodied, open-ended LLM AI agent designed as an abstract, ambiguous object. We explore how physical embodiment shapes user interactions, creative processes, and perceptions in engaging with AI and this emerging area of physical AI products. We situate these explorations within ongoing scholarly literature on embodied interaction, tangible user interfaces, and the role of ambiguity in human-AI relationships. Through qualitative studies and reflective analyses with each artefact, we explore how tangible interfaces for AI encourage richer multi-sensory engagement, foster novel metaphors of interaction, and provoke users to reconsider their conceptual is at ions of AI. We probe how design can act to shift perceptions of generative AI, from utilitarian tool to potential creative collaborators and relational entities. Our findings highlight key design considerations for these new paradigms, including balancing ambiguity with transparency, choosing metaphors that shape user expectations, and leveraging physical interaction to enhance user engagement and reflection. Embodied and tangible AI interfaces offer valuable opportunities for designing AI experiences that are human-centred, creative, and meaningfully integrated into everyday contexts.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence; Embodiment; Tangible Interactions; Ambiguity
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.152
Citation
Page, R., Ng, A., Rajcic, N.,and See, J.S.(2025) Tangible AI Interfaces: Research through Design Explorations of Embodied Artificial Intelligence., in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.152
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 4 - Human-Centered AI
Tangible AI Interfaces: Research through Design Explorations of Embodied Artificial Intelligence.
This paper investigates the embodiment of artificial intelligence (AI) through two tangible artefacts developed through Research through Design (RtD). Firstly, A (I) Cam: an instant camera that explores generative AI in image-making and creative practice. Secondly, Machine Eye: an embodied, open-ended LLM AI agent designed as an abstract, ambiguous object. We explore how physical embodiment shapes user interactions, creative processes, and perceptions in engaging with AI and this emerging area of physical AI products. We situate these explorations within ongoing scholarly literature on embodied interaction, tangible user interfaces, and the role of ambiguity in human-AI relationships. Through qualitative studies and reflective analyses with each artefact, we explore how tangible interfaces for AI encourage richer multi-sensory engagement, foster novel metaphors of interaction, and provoke users to reconsider their conceptual is at ions of AI. We probe how design can act to shift perceptions of generative AI, from utilitarian tool to potential creative collaborators and relational entities. Our findings highlight key design considerations for these new paradigms, including balancing ambiguity with transparency, choosing metaphors that shape user expectations, and leveraging physical interaction to enhance user engagement and reflection. Embodied and tangible AI interfaces offer valuable opportunities for designing AI experiences that are human-centred, creative, and meaningfully integrated into everyday contexts.