Beatrice Maggipinto and Mathilde Gouin, both CMU Portugal Ph.D. students and researchers in Human-Computer Interaction at the Institute of Interactive Technologies (ITI), participated in the 2025 International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI’25) from March 4-7, 2025, in Bordeaux, France. The TEI’25 conference focuses on issues of human-computer interaction, novel tools and technologies, interactive art, and user experience.
Beatrice Maggipinto is a Dual Degree Ph.D. student supervised in Portugal by Nuno Nunes and Valentina Nisi at ITI/Técnico, and by Jessica Hammer at CMU. At TEI’25, Beatrice presented the research “Echo of the Abyss: Understanding More-than-Human Interconnectedness in the Deep Sea Through Virtual Reality Experiences”, introducing the design of the Virtual Reality (VR) experience that uses animal guides and immersive environments to cultivate a sense of kinship towards marine life.
Beatrice shared highly positive feedback about her participation at TEI’25. She particularly enjoyed the demo session where she presented the VR project “Echo of the Abyss”: “I connected with many other researchers whom I admire and that have similar interests to mine. I had lovely chats with many of them about our respective plans and projects. It was an honour to see so many people enjoying our game”.
Mathilde Gouin, is an Affiliated Ph.D. student in the area of Human-Computer Interaction supervised by Valentina Nisi at ITI/Técnico and by Daragh Byrne at CMU. She presented along with Anna Bertmark, their recent research “Natureculture Probes: Opening Up Dialogues in Natural Heritage Landscapes”, an innovative tool designed to enhance visitor engagement at heritage sites through participatory methods, developed under the LoGaCulture project.
Over the four days, Mathilde had the opportunity to join a full-day of a sensory data workshop, attend “exceptionally diverse presentations” and participate in an evening of interactive art and demonstrations, where she experienced cutting-edge technologies and innovative methods firsthand.
She left the conference “feeling more connected than ever to the HCI and design community and excited by all the remarkable work being done, from 3D printing biomaterials to co-designing with bees and exploring how AI can inspire future art creation.”
