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About

Ken Nakagaki is a pioneering human-computer interaction researcher whose work sits at the intersection of shape-changing interfaces, actuated tangible user interfaces (TUIs), and soft robotics. Best known for his groundbreaking LineFORM project (2015, 111 citations), Nakagaki opened an entirely new design space around actuated curve interfaces, demonstrating how physical curves could serve as expressive, data-driven interactive systems. His follow-up ChainFORM (2016, 82 citations) extended this vision through modular, reconfigurable hardware, giving designers flexible building blocks for shape-changing applications. Nakagaki's contributions span both materials and systems: his OmniFiber work (2021, 111 citations) advanced fluidic fiber actuators capable of weaving movement-based interactions into wearables and everyday textiles, bridging soft robotics and HCI in remarkable ways. With HERMITS (2020, 62 citations), he introduced a compelling architecture for robotic TUIs that dynamically reconfigure through mechanical add-ons. His more recent research pushes further into swarm robotics, augmented reality, and physics education, as seen in AeroRigUI, ThrowIO, and Physica. Across his body of work, Nakagaki consistently challenges the boundary between digital and physical interaction, making him an influential voice in the future of tangible computing and shape-changing interface design.