Madalina Nicolae, an IP Paris doctoral student, won the best demo award at ACM UIST 2023 in San Francisco for her work on "Biohybrid Devices: Prototyping Interactive Devices with Growable Materials" Her thesis supervisors were Marc Teyssier, Jurgen Steimle and Samuel Huron.

"My research lies at the crossroads of human-computer interaction (HCI), biodesign and embedded systems. I'm currently exploring sustainability and emerging technologies for human-computer interaction using organic and living matter," explains the doctoral student.

She talks about the work that won her the award: "This is an exploration of the design space for the manufacture of biohybrid interactive devices, a class of interactive devices made by fusing electronic components and living organisms. Based on the exploration of this space using bacterial cellulose, we define a fabrication framework centred on the life cycle phases of biomaterials. We present a set of novel fabrication techniques to integrate conductive elements, sensors and output components through biological (e.g. bio-fabrication and bio-assembly) and digital processes."

Where did this project come from? "I think that deep down this project grew out of my passion for science fiction and the unknown. Other than building sustainable objects (organic and biodegradable) as in my previous project , I wanted to explore the opportunities offered by living things themselves. We asked ourselves "What if, in the future, we could MAKE functional interactive devices MOVE instead of assembling them? What would these devices look like and what changes in mentality would they imply?" she concludes.