Jan Borchers
Papers
4
Total Citations
40
H-Index
3
About
Jan Borchers is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and emerging technologies, with key contributions in soft robotics, digital fabrication, and the design of artificial counterparts. His work redefines how humans interact with non-human agents, from chatbots to social robots, challenging traditional embodied interaction paradigms. In his highly cited 2020 paper, "Otherware Needs Otherness," Borchers argues for designing technologies that embrace their fundamental "otherness" rather than mimicking human traits, a concept that has garnered 17 citations and sparked new discourse in HCI. He also advances practical tools like SoRoCAD (2022, 11 citations), a design platform for pneumatic soft robotics that makes flexible, safe human-machine interaction more accessible using affordable materials. Borchers’ mixed-initiative approach in "Handheld Tools Unleashed" (2023, 9 citations) merges human creativity with robotic precision, enabling physical sketching that blends manual and automated fabrication. His exploration of shape design in soft robotics (2023) further reveals how users associate organic forms with safety and trust, informing future interfaces. With a career spanning foundational theory and applied tools, Borchers shapes how we build and understand technology that feels both alien and intuitive.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2SoRoCAD: A Design Tool for the Building Blocks of Pneumatic Soft Robotics11 citations · 2022
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