HCII Seminar Series - Leah Buechley
Speaker
Leah Buechley
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico
When
-
Where
This event will be available via livestream.
Video
Video link
Description
"Hand and Machine"
I believe that by making technology more accessible and building artifacts that look and feel different from anything that has been built in the past, I can change and broaden the culture of technology. I can get a diverse range of people excited by the ways that computers and electronics can be used to build beautiful, expressive, and useful objects. I can also illuminate the deep relationships between the tools that we use and the communities that we create. To achieve these goals, I integrate computation and electronics with materials from art and design, like paper, textiles, ceramics, and wood. I then use these integrations to develop new tools and approaches that others can employ. I research the adoption of the tools I develop to understand how different people and communities use and learn from different materials. This talk will present an overview of my work, focusing in particular on two recent projects, designing and building Interactive Murals and exploring computational design and ceramics.
Speaker's Bio
Leah Buechley is an associate professor in the computer science department at the University of New Mexico, where she directs the Hand and Machine research group. Her work explores integrations of electronics, computing, art, craft, and design. She is a pioneer in paper and fabric-based electronics and her inventions include the LilyPad Arduino, a construction kit for sew-able electronics. Previously, she was a professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she founded and directed the High-Low Tech group. Her awards include an NSF CAREER Award and the Edith Ackerman award for Interaction Design and Children. Leah received a PhD in computer science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a BA in physics from Skidmore College. At both institutions she also studied dance, theater, fine art, and design.
Speaker's Website
https://handandmachine.org/
Host
Jeff Bigham