Keynotes

Touch-enhanced multisensory experience design

by Prof. Charles Spence

Crossmodal Research Laboratory, University of Oxford

Abstract

There has been an explosion in the number and range of commercial touch-enabled digital devices in society at large in recent years. In this talk, I will critically evaluate the evidence concerning the tactile augmentation of dynamic (audio-)visual experiences such as those offered while driving, and in the context of watching film, gaming, and/or while experiencing virtual reality (VR). I will consider the various mechanisms (both diegetic and nondiegetic) that may underlie such crossmodal effects, including attentional capture, mood induction, ambiguity resolution, and the transmission of semantically-meaningful information (i.e., such as directional cues to aid navigation) by means of patterned tactile stimulation. By drawing parallels with the literature on the olfactory augmentation of live performance, several additional ways in which touch could potentially be used to augment both passive (e.g., cinema) and active (e.g., gaming) media experiences will be highlighted. I will also highlight some of the technical, financial, and psychological challenges associated with delivering such crossmodal, or multisensory, enhancement effects via tactile augmentation. Finally, I will be considering what insights future research might hold in this rapidly-evolving area.

For background reading, see: Spence, C., & Gao, Y. (2025). Enhancing dynamic visual experiences through touch/haptics. Multisensory Research, 38(6-8), 289-324. https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-bja10161.

Bio

Professor Charles Spence is a world-famous experimental psychologist with a specialization in neuroscience-inspired multisensory design. He has worked with many of the world’s largest companies across the globe since establishing the Crossmodal Research Laboratory (CRL) at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University in 1997. Prof. Spence has published over 1,300 academic articles and edited or authored, 16 books including, in 2014, the Prose prize-winning “The perfect meal”, and the international bestseller “Gastrophysics: The new science of eating” (2017; Penguin Viking) – winner of the 2019 Le Grand Prix de la Culture Gastronomique from Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie. His popular science book “Sensehacking” was published in 2021, and “Digital Dining”, with Prof. Carlos Velasco, in 2025.

Much of Prof. Spence’s work focuses on the design of enhanced multisensory food and drink experiences, through collaborations with chefs, baristas, mixologists, chocolatiers, perfumiers, and the food and beverage, and flavour and fragrance industries. Prof. Spence has worked extensively in the world of multisensory experiential wine and coffee and has also worked extensively on the question of how technology will transform our dining/drinking experiences in the future

Animal-Computer Interaction: Reframing Interaction Design Beyond the Human

By Dr Ilyena Hirskj-Douglas

Abstract

What if the next computer users were not human? Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) is a growing field that designs computer systems for and with animals, enabling them to control their environment, connect socially across distances, and collaborate with people via computers. In this talk, I explore how building novel mobile and ubiquitous interfaces for animals prompts us to rethink the everyday assumptions embedded in interaction design. Through examples of my research, ranging from dog video-calling devices to giraffe lickable audio devices and human-lemur shared multimodal interfaces, I question what a "user" is, what agency looks like in computer systems for animals, and how, by looking towards animals, we can push standard Human-Computer Interaction methods further. I will discuss how designing and building interactive computers for non-human users opens new possibilities, outlines the challenges ahead, and raises new questions for the field around how we design interactive devices.

Bio

Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas is a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and leads the Animal-Computer Interaction Lab. Her research focuses on designing and building computer systems for and with animals, enabling them to control their environment, connect socially, and collaborate with people through technology. She received her doctorate from the University of Central Lancashire in 2018, after which she undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at Aalto University from 2018 to 2021. She was awarded a Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Fellowship (2022–2023) and, more recently, an ERC Starting Grant (2026–2031) for the FUTUREFAUNA project, developing animal interfaces for zoos and the home. Her work has received Best Paper and Best Paper Honourable Mention awards at ACM CHI, ISS, and ACI. Beyond academia, her research has been widely featured in the media, including a TED-featured talk and several New York Times features.