CSE - Sustainable Interactive Device Toolkit
The rise of digital fabrication and the growing maker community has amplified concerns about environmental sustainability due to the prevalent use of plastics and conventional batteries. Nearly one-third of digital fabrication projects depend on these materials, contributing to electronic waste. This project challenges this paradigm by advocating for devices made from transient biomaterials, unlocking novel applications while mitigating environmental harm. We envision customizable, biodegradable devices that operate without traditional batteries. For example, a silk fibroin-based face mask could serve as both protective gear and a health monitor, capturing physiological data and providing real-time health insights. Powered by energy harvested from the user’s breath, this mask exemplifies how transient materials can enable seamless functionality. A user-friendly platform with accessible fabrication tools would allow individuals to customize devices to track specific signals or monitor specific activities. This proposal explores a computational toolkit for sustainable design and fabrication, empowering non-expert makers to create interactive devices that are transient, self-powered, and reconfigurable. By integrating versatile biomaterials like beeswax with energy-harvesting technologies, and leveraging the BBC micro:bit ecosystem, MakeCode, and Jacdac hardware, we aim to bridge sustainability and maker-STEM education. Our work will be shared with the public, focusing on engaging a wide range of educators and learners from K-12 to higher education.
What makes the Internet of Matter Lab uniquely vibrant is its fusion of Human-computer Interaction, digital fabrication, circuit design, and machine learning to prototype systems that operate in harmony with the natural world. From biodegradable electronics to AI-enabled sensing systems, we work across disciplines to build computing platforms that disappear gracefully when no longer needed. Collaboration is at the heart of our work. We partner closely with researchers in HCI, robotics, sustainability science, and electronic engineering, forming a high-energy, interdisciplinary environment where ideas flow freely and innovation thrives.