Designing wearables: a Practice-led framework for enhancement technologies

My research asks the question How can design re-think the approach to enhancement technologies? I approach this question through reflective practice-led inquiry, designing wearable systems aimed at questioning, extending and reframing the very notion of enhancement. Through three projects and the thesis, I offer a new approach to enhancement focused on expanding an agent’s senses within its environment to access hidden affordances. My research aims at establishing a pragmatic and practice-led approach to enhancement systems that translates philosophical debates into actionable artefacts. The research’s intended audience includes researchers and practitioners seeking a pragmatic approach to design enhancement technologies that extend the sensory information available to an agent. It also contributes to theories of enhancement by developing a design-led methodology for sensory enhancement that uses ideas from theories of embodiment, affordance, and design cybernetics. The thesis builds on the debate concerning human augmentation, which has often followed subjective and ambiguous assumptions. Modern approaches to the subject – bio-conservatism and bio-liberalism – contend that enhancement technologies affect humanity’s essence despite different defining perspectives. I argue for separating the notion of “enhancement” from “human”, focusing instead on any agent’s body and senses, or lack thereof. I redefine enhancement as the practice of enabling agents to perceive environmental information they traditionally would not have access to. This information is presented to the agent through feedback loops that use the agent’s pre-existing senses. I define this practice as sensory layering. I first establish a body-centric framework that addresses enhancement technology agnostically as the enhancement of both humans and human-made agents such as robots. This acknowledges but deliberately sets aside much of the debate about what is essentially human. Within this framework, I redefine enhancements as devices expanding an agent’s senses in its environment to access hidden affordances. Next, I elaborate on five guidelines that facilitate cutting through the cross-domain knowledge needed to develop pragmatic enhancements. Finally, I explore these five guidelines through three case studies to enhance the navigation abilities of human and human-made agents. The five design guidelines for practitioners approaching wearable enhancement form parts of an overall design strategy and are concerned with: (1) selecting the hidden affordance to target, (2) selecting a pre-existing sense to design on, (3) deciding on how the feedback loop integrates with the agent’s pre-existing senses, (4) locating the wearable on the agent’s body, and (5) making the final design accessible to and reproducible by a larger community. The three case studies of wearable enhancements are used to gauge the guidelines’ value, utility and transferability. Further, they present several advancements in the state-of-the-art in robotics, Human-Computer Interaction and wearables. The first case is a robot’s resilience to motor faults. The project aims to develop a motor assembly that predicts a fault and switches to a backup system. The system allows a robot to keep moving by anticipating and preventing hardware failures. I employed on-device deep learning algorithms and a custom 3D-printed motor assembly. This project illustrates how the design guidelines apply to human-made agents. It highlights the importance of Guideline 3 when designing robotic enhancements. The second case study investigates how a human’s sense of direction can be enhanced by layering the perception of magnetic North. This project aimed to exemplify a design pipeline for body-moulded wearable enhancements, resulting in a wearable device moulded on the wearer’s body. To this end, I employed photogrammetry and 3D printing. This prototype highlights Guidelines 2 and 4. The final case study looks into layering digital audio information on humans moving through a physical space. This project introduces a hybrid bone and soft tissue conduction headset and a mixed reality experience that provides contextual audio feedback. The hybrid headset was designed to address the limited ability of off-the-shelf bone conducting headphones to reproduce a wide range of sound frequencies without occluding the ear canal. Further, the system employs centimetre-level accurate ultra-wideband sensors to track wearers indoors, streaming their position data to a simulation in real-time. Based on their position, the wearers receive layered sound cues about the environment they are navigating. This final prototype highlights the role of Guidelines 3 and 4. My contribution to knowledge is threefold. First, each of the three case studies presents a distinct design innovation: a novel redundant actuator in robotics, a body-centric design pipeline for wearable systems, and a hybrid bone and soft-tissue conduction headset for immersive audio experiences. Second, the research introduces and rigorously explores five design guidelines, forming a new, pragmatic framework for developing enhancement technologies. These guidelines provide practitioners with a method for navigating complex domains like design and robotics through sensory layering. Finally, this framework also advances enhancement theory by challenging traditional, human-centric views of enhancement, proposing an agent-centric – whether human or human-made – epistemology. My research materialises theoretical concepts, via experiential prototypes, to explore and reflect on the theory of enhancement itself

Studio south: A model for co-production of architecture education and practice through residencies

The research initiative Crossing Cultures introduces an innovative pedagogical model, immersing London-based architecture students in a Calabrian village through residencies, in collaboration with a local non-profit organisation (NPO). Since 2016, the program has addressed societal issues of migration and depopulation, fostering a community of practice with locals, asylum seekers, and other newcomers. Since 2020, the residencies, Studio South, have worked with the London-based design studio. They have disrupted traditional pedagogy, emphasising students as research partners, fostering hybrid roles, and transcending research-practice boundaries. The findings reveal a convergence of students' and the NPOs concerns, endorsing residencies as a model bridging academia and practice for societal impact

A conversation about transfeminism with Mijke van der Drift and Nat Raha

An interview about the ethics and politics of transfeminis

HCI opportunities: The Ecological Citizen(s) preferable futures deck

The triple planetary crisis [1] highlights interlinked issues that humanity and multispecies currently face: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. For viable planetary futures, issues need unpacking in accessible and collaborative means. In contemporary times, it is critical to transition to less impactful distributed practices, external to governmental structures, based on contextual placed-based challenges. This article reports on the design of the Ecological Citizen(s) Preferable Futures Deck, focusing on ‘EC what if question creation’ for positive planetary futures and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) interventions. Its goal is to produce inclusive, accessible outcomes with design/non-design audiences intent on bringing agency/autonomy to their communities based on co-created What if? questions. It shares insights on cross-disciplinary development of the Deck, grounded with partners and leading peers. The HCI opportunity for Ecological Citizen(s) is expansive, but it follows the transition in designers’ roles outlined by the UK’s Design Council: Systems Thinker and Connector/Convener [2]. The EC project seeks to work collaboratively for planetary futures building on; lived, place-based and trained experience(s). The in-progress workshop sessions collated feedback from leading design experts and community voices, presenting applicable reciprocal HCI lessons for to cultivate a digital sustainable society, toward positive planetary design

In Our Hands: Nepali nature inspired climate solutions in the Anthropocene

This paper considers material based making practices as found in the traditional handicraft, contemporary crafts practices and design innovation communities in Nepal. This sits within the context of the Anthropocene; a concept from the Earth sciences which has been adopted by academia at large and the arts and humanities in particular. It is a useful framework to explore the role of the human in our contemporary predicament of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity collapse. The paper places these craft practices within Doughnut Economics which argues that the current economic model is not fit for purpose for the 21st century. Rooted in feminist, gender, race and environmental theory, Doughnut Economics proposes seven new ways to think about economics that puts both people and planet at the heart of a radical new way of thinking about the economy. The Circular Economy principles propose a closed loop design that can be found in these Nepali craft practices, using case studies from the Road to COP26 Innovation Programme and In Our Hands projects supported by the British Council in Nepal, which took place between 2020 and 2024. The paper considers how the ‘radical indigenism’ of these craft practices can be situated in context of the Anthropocene. It introduces the Quintuple Bottom Line (profit, people, planet purpose and place) framework which emanated from these projects to support narratives of a Green or Net Zero Economy which dominate international policymaking to help contextualise the ‘antropos’ in this bioregional approach to economic craft development. The work offers insights that can be applied beyond craft practices, demonstrating the interlink of the hyper-local (materials use), to mutually benefit and build regenerative practices that speak of provenance and bioregionalism in a global context

Smart light-emitting textiles as affective interfaces for the autonomous vehicle interior

This thesis investigates the use of dynamic smart textiles that emit light in different colours and intensities for car interiors, aimed to enhance vehicle users’ emotional states and their relationship with the immediate environment. Autonomous vehicle developments represent a paradigm shift for today’s automotive industry. With no distinction between passenger and driver, a vehicle’s interior can transform from a driving to a living space, with a focus on user/passengers’ experiences. Technological advances in Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) and ‘affective interfaces’ mean that smart reactive systems can now sense and respond to human psychological states, creating dynamic user experiences. Affective interfaces are currently being tested to improve safety and enhance ambiences, which is most relevant at SAE Level 5 automation, which is in the focus of this study. This research builds on previous studies by testing users’ psychological associations and preferences for lighting variations in a simulated autonomous vehicle interior. Further, it attempts to understand how users respond to coloured lighting variations, in simulated driving scenarios: (a) a motorway journey, (b) on busy inner-city streets. The simulated driving scenarios are hypothesized to cause, boredom, in scenario (a) and stress in scenario (b). Qualitative interviews were conducted where test participants were shown driving simulations with a combination of red/orange and blue/purple light- emitting smart textiles. Specifically designed questions examined whether these coloured light transitions could suitably address individual users’ emotional states and strains hypothesised in these scenarios. The outcomes of this proof-of-concept study of the CHAMEOLit simulation, will lead to the creation of a prototype model of the smart textile. Autonomous vehicles are not yet fully developed and it is accepted that testing methods are limited to simulated driving scenarios. Nevertheless, data collected from the qualitative research testing the first version of the prototype, and refined in the second version of the prototype, retains the potential to advance the development of smart textile systems for affective interfaces in future cars and further industry research is recommended. With safe driving foremost and centred on individual, human design, such tangible interfaces can recreate the emotional intelligence of autonomous cars, in dynamic ambiences

An environmental approach to connected autonomous renewable energy vehicles, associated semiotics and the synthetically intelligent city

Connected autonomous renewable energy vehicles (CAREV) will change our cities. CAREV are cited as environmentally regenerative, systemic future advanced transport modality integrated with the synthetically intelligent (SI) city to improve liveability and safety. This research is motivated by a concern to couple these changes to the wider changes needed to make our cities more environmentally sustainable, equitable, safe and just. This research argues for a social and environmental framework for the introduction of autonomous vehicles into our cities, as part of a diverse transport ecology. The project developed a ‘symposium method’ to include continuous feedback, iterative, diverse voices, and opinions in the design, thinking and transdisciplinary processes. The symposium method provided a formal structure to both bring other voices, informal dialogue and imaginative approaches into the work, and is replicated in the structure of this thesis. Several sub-questions arise: - Can we live with autonomous vehicle intelligence in the public realm? - Can we co-define an ecological framework in which technology positively influences the environment? - What opportunities and threats does this technology hold, regarding spatial or social justice, and which parts of societies might be affected? - Beyond the designs of cities and vehicles, what can we observe that will change due to autonomous vehicles (AVs) connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) or connected autonomous renewable energy vehicles CAREVs? - Does a change in the fleet from human-driven vehicles to CAREVs allow for deeper changes in the city fabric and its semiotics and communications, and might a ‘systemic semiotic technoecology’ arise? The project achieves its creative and cognitive contribution through design, and its symposium method. It is an investigation through an interwoven relationship of research practice in design, architectural multimedia, experimentation, thinking and writing. A layering of knowledge and creative insights emerge. The short videos provide access to the architectural multimedia, animations, film and a summary of the symposium method, the videos make the research accessible to a wide audience and form part of future consulting instruments. This research has been disseminated through publications, the research interface website, lectures and, ultimately, this PhD thesis, which comprises a thesis and the two videos which create an ecological view of a future transport modality

LLM-mediated domain-specific voice agents: the case of TextileBot

Developing domain-specific conversational agents (CAs) has been challenged by the need for extensive domain-focused data. Recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) make them a viable option as a knowledge backbone. LLMs behaviour can be enhanced through prompting, instructing them to perform downstream tasks in a zero-shot fashion (i.e. without training). To this end, we incorporated structural knowledge into prompts and used prompted LLMs to prototyping domain-specific CAs. We demonstrate a case study in a specific domain-textile circularity – TextileBot, we present the design, development, and evaluation of the TextileBot. Specially, we conducted an in-person user study (N = 30) with Free Chat and Information-Gathering tasks with TextileBots to gather insights from the interaction. We analyse the human–agent interactions, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Our results suggest that participants engaged in multi-turn conversations, and their perceptions of the three variation agents and respective interactions varied demonstrating the effectiveness of our prompt-based LLM approach. We discuss the dynamics of these interactions and their implications for designing future voice-based CAs

Transdisciplinary design of trust-driven clinical decision support interface for cyber-physical human teams in long-duration human spaceflight

Astronauts on future long-duration human spaceflight (LDHSF) missions will collaborate with artificial agents to enable crew medical autonomy and support Earth-independent clinical decision-making, working together as Cyber-Physical Human (CPH) teams. Although trust is a well-understood pillar of successful team collaboration, its incorporation into the design of onboard medical systems and clinical decision support (CDS) interfaces has not been systematically addressed. The work presented in this paper advances the development of onboard medical systems and CDS interfaces by integrating CPH team trust considerations from the early design stages. First, we present a framework to facilitate transdisciplinary stakeholder collaboration to envision solutions in the LDHSF future(s) context. Next, we describe the developed design research tools that allow stakeholders to consider CPH trust in the context of future LDHSF missions. Lastly, we illustrate a case-study application of the tools to derive trust-driven future CPH interface requirements and demonstrate how they are reflected within the conceptual development of the Exploration Medical Ecosystem Design Interface (ExMEDI)

Virtual reality in history education: Instructional design considerations for designing authentic, deep, and meaningful learning

Too many middle years and high school students remain disengaged from history education, often perceiving it as irrelevant to their everyday lives and futures. While teachers aspire to design engaging history lessons, achieving this goal is challenging amidst the complexities of contemporary classrooms. Differentiating instruction to meet diverse student needs while navigating outdated and rigid curriculum guides can overwhelm educators. Addressing these pedagogical concerns, we conducted a mixed-methods study with 98 participants from the University of Saskatchewan to explore how virtual reality (VR) technologies can support the training and development of pre-service teachers in history curriculum and instruction. Guided by Allen & Sites’ (2012) Successive Approximation Model (SAM), VR experiences were designed to immerse participants in two specific historical contexts: The Ottawa River Timber Slide and Agnes Deans-Cameron Magic Lantern Tour. Data collection methods included Likert scale surveys, open-ended questions, participant observations, and group debriefing sessions. The findings are synthesized within the context of the broader scholarly literature, bridging theoretical insights with practical applications. Based on the study results, we propose instructional design recommendations for integrating VR to support authentic, deep, and meaningful learning experiences in history education. Keywords: Authentic Learning, Instructional Design, History Education, History Teaching, Teacher Training, Immersive Learning Experiences, Virtual Reality Educatio