Tangible Interactive Microbiology
Seung Ah Lee, Yonsei University
Trap it! is a human-biology interaction (HBI) medium encompassing a touchscreen interface, microscopy, and light projection. Users can interact with living cells by drawing on a touchscreen displaying the microscope view of the cells. These drawings are projected onto the microscopy field as light patterns, prompting observable movement in phototactic responses. The system design enables stable and robust HBI and a wide variety of programmed activities (art, games, and experiments).
We investigated its affordances as an exhibit in a science museum in both facilitated and unfacilitated contexts. Overall, it had a low barrier of entry and fostered rich communication among visitors. Visitors were particularly excited upon realizing that the interaction involved real organisms, an understanding that was facilitated by the eyepiece on the physical system. See video below for the system in action.
References :
AT Lam, J Ma, C Barr, SA Lee, AK White, K Yu, IH Riedel-Kruse, First-hand, immersive full-body experiences with living cells through interactive museum exhibits, Nature Biotechnology, 37, 1238–1241, 2019
SA Lee, E Bumbacher, AM Chung, N Cira, B Walker, JY Park, B Starr, P Blikstein and IH Riedel-Kruse, Trap it!: A playful human-biology interaction for museum installation, Proceedings of ACM CHI, 2015
SA Lee, AM Chung, N Cira and IH Riedel-Kruse, Tangible interactive microbiology for informal science education, Proceedings of ACM TEI, 2015