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About

Miguel Bruns is a leading researcher at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and materials science, whose work is fundamentally redefining how we interact with computers. His primary research areas are shape-changing interfaces, soft robotics, and expressive interaction design. Bruns is best known for his groundbreaking contributions to shape-changing interface research, where he explores how dynamic physical changes in a device's form can serve as both input and output mechanisms. His seminal paper, "Grand Challenges in Shape-Changing Interface Research" (2018), has garnered over 230 citations, establishing a foundational roadmap for the field. Bruns has pioneered novel fabrication methods for soft robotic actuators, including the development of dynamic robotic fibers using liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) that enable programmable and reversible shape-changing behaviors. His work on "Expressivity in Interaction" (2021) provides a crucial framework for understanding how technology can exhibit expressive behaviors, bridging affective computing and tangible interaction. More recently, Bruns introduced "Aqua-Morph" (2025), a design method for fabricating shape-changing hydrogel structures that democratizes access to soft robotics prototyping. Through his innovative approaches to rapid prototyping and accessible fabrication techniques, Bruns is making shape-changing technology more practical and widely available, opening new possibilities for tangible and embodied interaction.